Loyalty, Determination, and Knowledge
by ever changes
Summary: We all know that the Volturi completely destroyed Alec's and Jane's old village and all the people inside, but what if one person survived? And what if the person happened to become a vampire and still love Alec? M for language.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**Cassi's POV**

I watched helplessly as the torch fell onto the pile of wood. "NO!" I screamed, attempting to shove my way through the crowd of angry villagers. I knew what I was doing was suicide. I knew they would just accuse me too. I knew my effort was worthless but I couldn't stop trying. Alec, my Alec was tied to that stake with fire burning all around him. My Alec was the one about to be burned, my Alec.

I saw his face then. Calm, serene, eyes closed and his hand holding tight to Jane's, his twin sister. Jane, on the other hand, seemed furious. She glared at the villagers, her luscious hair flowing all around her. I knew Jane hated me but if I was going to save (or attempt to save) Alec I would do the same for her. I didn't care what she did to me afterward, I couldn't let them die.

Alec had never known me personally but I knew him, I loved him. And, in a way, I loved Jane too. They represented everything I wanted to be, minus being strapped to a stake and burnt alive. They were brave and courageous. They stood up for themselves and each other. No matter what the villagers threw at them, they could take it. Even now, they could take it. And they were always there for the other, always, no matter what. I wish I knew that love, I wish I knew them.

You see, I was the poor orphan girl. My mother died at birth, nothing uncommon for the century, and my father committed suicide shortly after. I never knew a family, never witnessed love, at least not the kind the twins had for one another or their mother had for them. I had begun following the twins shortly after I could walk (around age three). I was younger than them by two years but I cared for them. Some how, they kept me from leaving this world and going beyond.

I use to be very determined to better know Alec and his twin but Jane despised the idea. Every time I tried to talk to them, she'd push me away. Alec trusted his sister and so I was left alone. I never hated them for that. I never hated them at all because I knew, deep inside, they felt the same way I did. Hated, lonely, forgotten, that's how we lived, how we felt. I connected to that and worshiped them for being so strong, for doing what I couldn't. They stood up, they fought back. And me? I cowered in the shadows and followed them wherever they went.

Alec and Jane were rich. They had a mother and father, private tutors, and a house big enough to put the lord of the manor to shame. Their mother was highly religious and loved them with everything she had. Still, they became feared and hated. They were outcasts to humanity. Not even their father would protect them. I imagine betrayal is a lot harder than being alone. I imagine that they probably were hurt more by their father throwing the torch than by the fire itself. Me? I'd be begging for death, sadly, I'd never be granted that wish and neither would they.

Try as I might to reach them before the fire, I had no chance. Even with all the years I spent thieving and hiding, I couldn't manage through this size of a crowd fast enough. There were so many people and I knew every single one of them. I knew the priests and their families. I knew Alec's uncle and his wife. I could name every one of them, but no one could name me because I was an outcast. Just as worthy of the stake as the twins and there was no way I could help them.

Then, the screams started. I froze in place because it wasn't coming from Alec and Jane but the villagers themselves. I couldn't see anything. What was going on? Attempting to use the confusion to my advantage I made a wild dash to the fire, but I never made it. Just then a rock hard figure slammed into me and knocked me to the ground. The air whooshed out of my lungs and I looked up at my attacker's face. What I saw would be engraved in my mind for the rest of my life. Bright eyes the color of blood, perfectly white, dagger sharp teeth and a face so pale and beautiful I could only gape at it. The vampire didn't waste anytime on introductions but sunk his teeth right into my vulnerable neck.

That's when a loud call so perfectly melodious called back. The vampire grunted softly, stood up, and walked away. I tried to follow but a burning sensation stopped me. I felt dizzy and limp, almost as if I had been bashed in the head with a rock and wasn't realizing the pain yet. Almost immediately, the fire started up again. I screamed miserably from the pain. It was excruciating, as if someone had put fire in my veins. The last thing I ever saw as a human was the deathly glow of stars on a black background.

I remember the first two centuries clear as day. I had got up and automatically recognized what I was. I had gone to go find the stake but the entire village had been burnt to the ground and everyone in it. I don't know why but I honestly believed that Jane and Alec had been subject to the same fate as me and lived. I don't know why I held on to that belief as long as I did but I do know that if I hadn't I wouldn't be who I am today.

The remainder of those first two centuries was spent as a battle against my craving for human blood. In the end, I had successfully converted myself to a wholly animal blood diet. And as far as I'm concerned, I was the first to do it. Also making me the first to quit.

I spent the next couple of centuries living as a nomad, never being seen. I carefully avoided all traces of humanity and vampirism. I fed on animals and burnt their remains afterward. I was safe but not happy. I wanted, no, needed to find Alec. I had to make sure he and Jane were okay. It was a compulsion I couldn't resist. It was during my search for them that I came across Garret.

Garret saw me for what I was; weak, stupid, ignorant, yet determined and kind. He forced me back onto my normal diet and we spent many centuries as teacher and pupil, but that's another story. Long story short, the Volturi found Garret, accused him of harboring an immortal child (me), and killed him. Thing was, I was no where to be found. Though as much as I wanted to come out and greet that lovely voice, to tell Alec how much I loved him, something told me to stay hidden, to not let Garret die in vain. So I lost my chance.

It wasn't until years later that I ever caught a word about Alec, and by years, I mean half a millennium. I had overheard two nomads talking about how they had lost their chance to kill the Witch Twins and how they were smart not to have attacked Volterra. My curiosity was raging so I continued to eavesdrop on their conversation. They were really old men venting on a lost battle but they handed me valuable information without even knowing I was there. When I collected all I needed, I set out to find my precious Alec. The entire reason why I had chosen to live.

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><p><strong>Please review and I will update as soon as possible. All advice is welcomed and I hope you enjoy. :P<strong>


	2. Chapter I: A New Home

**Chapter I: A New Home**

**Cassi's POV**

I was completely and totally aware of how very stupid I was about to be, but can you blame me? I spent my entire life worrying about this guy; I couldn't just throw that away because I was slightly scared that his sister would murder me. Okay, so suppose I could. What would I do with my life? Quite frankly, if Alec couldn't or didn't love me the way I loved him I didn't want to live anymore any way. This was my chance to tell him how much I cared. I was going to give it all I got.

The door to the Volterra castle was huge. The black sky and twinkling stares only made it that much more gorgeous. It was like walking into a fairytale. Not any of the fairytales I knew as a kid, those were all gruesome and bloody, but modern fairytales with princesses and knights. And finally, after 1,200 years, I felt like a small little girl again. I had always felt vulnerable and weak but this was different, I felt innocent again.

My hand wrapped around the door handle, pulled it open, and I walked in. The inside was more modern than out. It looked like some kind of entrance to a business office, not that I've been in very many of those. A girl sitting behind a desk gave me a friendly welcome and asked what I was doing here. It took me a minute or two to finally work my nerve up to sound assertive but I finally managed to say, "I'm looking for Aro," with just enough strength to let her know I meant business.

"Of course, right this way." The woman moved out from behind her desk and began to lead my down the hall to the elevator. "He'll be on the third floor, directly down the hall, and fifth door on the left."

"Thank you." I muttered and stepped in. It didn't take long before I spotted one of the many vampires living in the castle. As soon as the elevator doors opened to the third floor, a humongous vampire was towering over me. I had always been tall for my age, almost as tall as Alec, but right now, I felt really short. Not to mention small and weak. I peeked up at him from beneath my blonde bangs, my red eyes giving away my fear.

"Who are you?" He demanded roughly. I regained my confidence and ignored his question.

"I'm looking for Aro." I responded instead. In truth, I had no wish to meet the leader of the Volturi. I had no want to see anyone but Alec and Jane. I had to make sure they were okay; I had to tell him how I felt. The vampire in front of me chuckled.

"Well, come on Miss Looking For Aro, I'll take you to him." I smiled slightly at his joke and followed the vampire close behind. "You're a little young, aren't you?"

"Only physically." The vampire nodded in understanding. My curiosity kicked in and I suddenly wanted to know his name. I asked without thinking.

"Felix. I don't suppose you'd give me yours?" He answered, glancing back at me. I shook my head and he sighed.

"Well, here we are." He stated as we reached the fifth door on the left, it would seem the woman was right.

"Hey, when's the last time you fed?"

"About a week ago, why?"

"You didn't kill anyone in the city, did you?"

"No, I was in Rome."

"Good, we don't allow hunting within the city walls." I looked at him in confusion but he didn't elaborate. Instead he opened the big door and led me into a weird stone chamber. Chills battered my body, this place stank with danger. He opened a second door and led me into a different room. This one was one of the castle turrets. The windows allowed for the glow of stars to twinkle in the room. I focused my eyes to a large group of vampires staring directly at me. _This can't be good._

"Felix, who is this that you've brought to company us?" One vampire asked. He was obviously ancient with papery looking skin and a white film over his eyes.

"I don't know, she hasn't told me her name yet." Suddenly, I heard a soft intake of breath and a low hiss. I gazed over at the noise and found Alec and Jane standing side by side. They were alive! I was so immensely happy at that moment I just about ran out and hugged them. My saviors, my heroes, they were alive! But I kept my composure and met Alec's baffled stare.

"Cassi?" He breathed, still stunned. I nodded slowly. I desperately wanted to tell Alec everything but that would have to wait. I had to make it out of this room alive first. "You're supposed to be dead." He mumbled, taking a step towards me. Jane held him back. The fact that Alec had remembered my name was amazing to me. I barely remembered my human years which meant he would have trouble too. Not to mention, I had only told him my name once or twice. Jane usually separated us before I could get a word out.

"So are you." I pointed out. I almost said I wasn't the one tied to a stake but thought better of it. Even after all this time, I can't imagine he could have gotten over it.

"How did you live?"

"Isn't it obvious? I was bitten and changed. I was left for dead but death never came." I peered over at Jane curiously. She seemed to be biting her tongue. I was sure I didn't want to know what was going through her head. All those years spent keeping us apart and here I come barging back into her life, just as immortal and strong as she was, sort of. I was still unaware of their powers.

"Cassi?" The ancient purred. I focused on him despite my want to embrace the twins.

"Yes?"

"Would you mind coming here?" I tilted my head one way but came forward none the less. "My name is Aro." He said, sticking out his hand. I thought he meant to shake hands but his hand wasn't sideways, it was laying palm up.

"What are you going to do?" I asked. Garret had warned me about vampires with special gifts. He had told me to keep an eye out for any odd gestures, exactly like this. Aro laughed delightedly at my question. "You're quite knowledgeable, are you not? I'm just going to read your thoughts."

My eyes narrowed, debating whether he was telling the truth. "I appreciate a half truth no more than I appreciate a lie, Aro. What's the catch?" I felt the glares boring into me from all around. I had a feeling that people didn't question the guy. I didn't care. I wasn't going to allow this guy to take my hand unless I knew exactly what would happen. Aro just gave another delighted peal of laughter.

"Not much slips by you. I will be reading **all** of your thoughts. From birth right to this point, nothing more." I could tell he was telling the truth and I placed my hand in his. His shoulders hunched from the onslaught of knowledge. After a few minutes he rose up again, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Such determination, such loyalty, and sooo many possibilities. All this time you have searched for two," he glanced over at Alec and Jane, "and now you find so many more. You should be quite pleased with yourself; you have done well through the trials of life. Shall we offer the child a place with us, brothers?"

As Aro glanced back, I followed his gaze and realized two other ancients were there as well. I wasn't sure what I wanted. If they made the offer I wouldn't decline, but did I really want to stay inside of this castle for the rest of eternity? Aro laughed again, my hand was still in his and I guessed he was still reading my thoughts. _Smooth, Cassi, way to give yourself away._ "Do not fear, child. There are many things we must attend to outside of the castle. Prove your loyalty to the coven and you will be allowed to tag along. Brothers?"

"I don't see why not." One breathed, seeming quite bored with everything going on.

"What worth does she have?" The other demanded. I had a feeling that the glare of hatred plastered to his face wasn't something reserved solely for me but directed at everyone. His white hair was a loud contrast to the black and brown of everybody else's. It practically blended into his face.

"Knowledge, determination, and exemplary loyalty to those she cares about, Caius."

"And who would that be?"

"Of the living, only Jane and Alec."

"And quite a strong bond she has for the two." The one I still didn't know the name of added. I was curious at how he knew that. Did he have a power too?

"And I'm sure she's willing to except more." Aro turned back to me, assuring himself that he assumed correctly. All he had to do was read my thoughts to know he was right.

"And of the dead?" Caius requested.

"Only two ever possessed her loyalty. Jane's mother and a vampire by the name of Garret. It would seem he was falsely accused after all." Aro's eyes were glued to me and so were the eyes of the large group around me. I wasn't exactly pleased with the knowledge being shared about me but I knew it was necessary if I wanted to stay. At least Aro wasn't giving out my other secret. I don't think I could have bared that.

"The group didn't know. I doubt they would have done any differently had I shown myself, only killed me too. I accept that." I greatly admired Garret but his death wasn't enough to make hatred boil inside me. I wasn't a hateful person. I never hated the villagers who pushed me away and caused me to lose Alec for over a millennium. I never hated Jane for pushing me away. I never hated the vampire who had bit me. I never hated Garret for changing my feeding habits and making me look like the ones who came and destroyed my village (which I had already guessed was the Volturi) or for any of the rude things he had called me. I didn't see the point in starting to hate now.

Caius gave me a quick rundown and then made a sharp nod. "You have my permission." Aro was ecstatic and I could see Alec was too.

"Within a couple of hours, one of our members will return with a meal. It is advised you stay here until then, unless you'd prefer not to feed." I knew Aro was questioning me, seeing how well I would listen. I didn't need to feed but I was curious about this member who 'will return with a meal'. He smiled gleefully and let go of my hand. I stepped back slightly and looked around. I decided to go over to Alec and Jane. Jane may hate me but I had to face her eventually. At least she would least likely rip off my head with all these people around. I hoped.

I was pleased when the attention left me and everyone went back to their normal conversations, kind of. I could hear a few whispering about things like 'how does she know the twins' and 'I wonder who changed her'. The second question baffled me as well. Other than that, I had a feeling that they were used to new members joining the coven.

When I reached Alec and Jane my eyes automatically lowered. This boy had affected so much of my life and we had rarely talked. I still couldn't quite understand how he knew my name, how he could have remembered it all this time. I peered up at him from underneath my bangs. No matter what I did in my life, no matter what I accomplished, these two would still be my elders. They'd still be higher than me in every single way. I just hoped they could see me as worthy of a small amount of respect, even only a little.

"I'm happy you're alive, Cassi." If I could blush at that moment, I would have. Just the way he said my name put butterflies in my stomach.

"I'm glad you're alive too, both of you." I added, glancing over at Jane. "I thought I had lost you guys." Jane's eyes seemed to widen when I included her into it. I suppose she never guessed I liked her too. "What happened anyway? Last time I saw you two you were…" I deliberately trailed off, not wanting to hurt them.

Alec shrugged. "Aro found us, saved us, and changed us. We've been here ever since."

"What about you? You must have really impressed Aro to have him want to add you to the guard with out any powers." Jane put in. It was my turn to shrug.

"A whole bunch of vampires attacked the village, one bit me, left, and I was changed. When I found you missing I set out looking for you." I launched into my story happily. I gave them descriptive details of what happened while trying to summarize as best I could. Just after I finished, the other member came in and I understood what they meant by bringing a meal. There had to be at least a hundred humans with the vampire. "Wow." I gasped.

"Yeah…" Alec sighed.

"Do you do this often?"

"Every two weeks. The coven has to eat, you know."

"Well, yeah but… How do you not get caught?"

"Heidi is very good at what she does." I just stared, dumbfounded as they filed in. This was the most humans I've seen all at once since I was human. I could hardly believe my eyes.

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><p><strong>Please review and tell me what you think. I will update more often if people enjoy the story. :D!<strong>


	3. Chapter II: Back to The Past

**Chapter II: Back to The Past**

**Alec's POV**

Cassi had changed a lot since I had last seen her. That was rather odd, seeing as she was turned on the same day I had been burned. Shouldn't she look the same? I thought so. Perhaps it was just the venom that had changed her. I was used to the human Cassi. The one that was always dirty and blushing. The one whose hair was never brushed and whose teeth were yellow and crooked.

Now, Cassi looked like a beauty queen. Her hair was freshly washed. The shining blonde locks were straightened out and hanging loosely at her shoulders and around her face. Her pale skin was clean and free of any scars left over from cuts and scratches. Cassi was always covered in cuts and bruises when we were human. Her perfect white teeth seem to sparkle as she gnawed on her lower lip. _Old habits die hard._ I thought, seeing the truth in those words.

Seeing all these changes really baffled me. She even seemed slightly taller than I remembered her. I thought the last day I had saw her was on the day of the burning but it would appear I was wrong. The last time I had really saw, other than when she was secretly following us around, had been months before that. Thinking of the past brought fresh memories up.

_I walked down the old dirt path alone. My sister, Jane, was off trying to trick a shopkeeper into giving her some silly toy for free. I knew it would work, of course. No one denied my sister ever, not even me. Not that I would want to anyway. I loved my sister dearly. Sometimes it seemed there was no one else in the world besides Jane and I. Oh, how I wished that were true. If only everyone else would just disappear and leave us alone. Perhaps then, we would be happy._

_A familiar little movement caught my eye and jerked me out of my thoughts. That orphan was following me around again. _Why am I not surprised?_ She followed Jane and I like a lost puppy looking for a home. It was pathetic to say the least. She stepped out into the road directly in front of me. I doubted she would have had the courage if Jane were around. _

"_H- hello, Alec." She whispered shyly._

"_Hello…"_

"_Cassi." She finished for me. I just nodded my head, committing her to memory. She had dirty, blonde hair that was very tangled. She had soft green eyes that never really met mine. She was covered in dirt and in desperate need of a bath. I looked down at her raggedy white dress, pondering where she'd gotten it. _Probably stole it when no one was looking._ I guessed. "I was just wondering…" My sister's voice cut her off abruptly._

"_Alec! Come on, it's time to go." Cassi smiled at my sister who only glared back. I could feel hatred radiating from Jane as it did whenever anyone tried to mess with me. Cassi only showed signs of friendship. I felt bad for her, a little._

"_It's not as if anyone would miss us." I muttered in response. If Jane heard me she ignored it completely. Can't say I blamed her. It was painful to except that the entire village hated us. _Well, almost the entire village. _I was already walking away when I felt a sudden urge to look back. I was going to call back but Cassi was already gone, disappeared into the shadows she loves so much._

"_What's the matter?" Jane insisted after a long period of silence. _

"_I just couldn't help thinking about Cassi."_

"_Who?" She asked, bewildered._

"_Cassi, the orphan girl? I was talking to her when you came back."_

"_Listen to me, Alec, and listen to me good. She is nothing but dirt on our shoes, scum at our feet, waste at our disposal. She's not good for you and the best thing that _rat_ could do is make you realize how worthless she is. It's hanging with those kinds of people that make others believe that we're witches. If we don't stay far away from her we'll only be getting ourselves hurt." I didn't really agree with my sister but I kept my thoughts to myself._

_Cassi never openly approached me again. I still occasionally got a glimpse of her leaping between the shadows, trailing us. I tried not to notice her but it was nearly impossible. I had a nagging feeling in the back of my head that she had something important to tell me, something I needed to hear. But I listened to Jane. _For their protection, not mine._ I would tell myself._

_I often got the feeling that Cassi was somehow protecting us. I mean, it's not like she could really do any harm to us herself. When my sister said it was being around her that got us associated with witches I couldn't help but to disagree. To me, I think it was Cassi hanging around us that got _her_ associated with witches, not that she was. _

_If Cassi really was protecting us she was doing a great job. The villagers left us alone and we weren't often picked on by other kids. Even guard dogs that normally ran after everybody left us alone. That was, until that night…_

Seeing Cassi walking over to us snapped me out of my memory. She glided over, showing her age. I had never really seen Cassi as graceful but her movements suggested otherwise. Though it made sense. An orphan, a thief would need to be able to move as quickly and silently as possible to survive. Then again, maybe it was just my emotions blinding me.

Those eyes, such a glorious shade of red, lowered as she approached us. Despite appearances, she hadn't changed much. Still that shy orphan girl who never looked you directly in the eyes. Maybe it was a show of respect, I just found it annoying. To me, it seemed as though she was afraid. I didn't like that idea one bit.

We chatted a little as we waited for Heidi to return. I was please with how Cassi included Jane into the conversation. When Cassi started on her story I was amazed. All this time I've spent with the Volturi, she was out exploring the world. I was dismayed when she had spoken on feeding on animals for a period of time but was glad to know that phase hadn't lasted long. I didn't find 'vegetarians' strong as they made themselves out to be. I thought they were stupid and weak for denying themselves their own nature, pathetic excuses for vampires.

Cassi's surprise at the sight of the meal delighted me. I too had seen this as an amazing thing once. To see that her reaction was much the same to me was fulfilling. I felt as though I had the girl wrapped around me finger. All the possibilities…

Suddenly, I felt very, very wrong. Had I really just thought of the girl next to me as a tool? The girl who had spent twelve hundred years looking for me? That was just plain out wrong. Who was I to think I could use her? That's right, Alec of the Volturi. Twin to Jane who was a sadistic little child that everyone feared. _A Witch Twin_. The idea of me being a monster didn't seem too far off.

My dark mood must have registered to Cassi (Jane was already enjoying the meal) because she fell silent. "Alec?" She whispered, this time questioning instead of shy.

"Yes?" I replied, glancing over at her. I finally saw into her eyes for the first time. They were deep, filled with such loneliness as I had never experienced. I had always had Jane, but her? She had no one. At the same time, they were filled with some hidden passion and confusion, as though I were doing something completely off. She cut the contact within seconds of our meeting.

"Are you not hungry?" The classic way of wording her sentence reminded me of Cassi's own age. She was no longer the lost orphan I had come to know her as; she was an ancient vampire with experience enough to put most to shame. Despite my want to stay at her side, I knew I could not.

"Will you not join me?" I asked in the same way.

"Not this night, perhaps at a later date. For now, I'd like to observe. I'm curious at how this works. I would not want to disrupt the way of doing things here. Never fear, I'll be right here when you're done. I'm not going anywhere." With that being said, I nodded and launched into the meal.

It didn't take me long to finish feeding. I preferred to get in and out of the mush as quickly as possible. Felix and Jane were just the opposite. They stayed, hunting and killing as many as they could, torturing in some cases. I was never bothered by Jane's actions. I knew it was just her way of blowing off some steam. Besides, if she didn't blow it on the humans I'd have to deal with it. I loved Jane to pieces but I liked her calm side better than her angry one.

Cassi was waiting patiently for me as she said she would. I touched her briefly on the hand, beckoning her to follow me. She did so willingly. I had listened to her story but I wasn't given the time to ask questions. I wanted to very badly, especially when it came to why she tracked us down in the first place. It seemed rather odd.

I led Cassi to my room. She stepped in after me, shutting the door noiselessly behind her. I didn't even give her time to look around but immediately set into my questions. "Why did you follow us? After so many years, why continue looking for us?"

She shrugged her shoulders casually, not even peeking at me as she so often did. "You two set out most of my life. I don't mean to sound melodramatic but you're really the only reason why I decided to stick with life in the first place. It gets so boring after awhile. Quite frankly, if it hadn't been the fact that I had seen you, well heard actually, when Garret died I would have stepped out and let them kill me. You get lonely, Alec. I don't know why, but you just do. I was lonely."

I guessed she wasn't telling me everything but I let it drop. She'd confess in me when she was ready. I had unlimited time, no need to push it.

Cassi gazed around my room, her eyes scanning everything. "Did you draw this?" She asked randomly, pointing to one of my few sketches on the wall. The one in particular was of a burning cross. Seeing as she had more than likely been raised by the church, I figured she was disappointed by it.

"Yeah. Look, it's not my fault what my brain imagines when I'm sketching. I just let my hands move. I rarely know what I'm drawing until I'm done." She peered at me, puzzled. It seemed to be an expression she wore a lot.

"It's beautiful." She mumbled, tracing the edge of the cross. Then her eyes flashed back to me, understanding now. "It wasn't your fault, Alec. You don't have to defend yourself and your sketches to me. I wouldn't care if you drew an upside down cross with Satin himself behind it if it was this pretty." She paused. "That doesn't mean I'm encouraging you, I just won't criticize you on what you draw. I preferred if you didn't draw Satin, please and thank you."

I couldn't help but to laugh. I knew she was being strictly sincere but the way she said it was comical. She was half warning me, half tempting me to draw such an unholy image. As she shook her head at my laughter, a glint of silver around her neck caught my eye. I was standing next to her in a flash, pulling the chain out from hiding underneath her shirt. "What's this?" I wondered as it slowly revealed itself. I gave Cassi more than enough opportunity to stop me but she left me be, for which I was grateful.

"It's a cross. Garret gave it to me when he found out I was Christian."

"Christian?" I demanded. I fully remembered as the church being Catholic, not Christian, not that there was much of a difference. What was she talking about? The silver cross thudded softly in my hand as I finished pulling it out of her shirt. The small little object was engraved with such fine craftsmanship I actually wondered how a human might have made it. Back when Cassi had known Garret, machines hadn't been invented to do human jobs yet.

"Well, yeah. I kind of adopted it during my search. They're so much better than Catholics. They spread love and they're not so strict. Most Christians are very warm-hearted and caring. I felt horrible after killing one. Turns out, she had been the priest to a church. I didn't feed again for weeks."

I raised an eyebrow at her, seeing if she was serious. Was she so emotionally attached then that she still felt bad after killing certain humans? I wondered if she had ever fed on children. I decided to ask out loud. Cassi seemed horrified by even mentioning it. "NO! Have you?"

"I feed on who's available. I don't pick and choose. They're all the same to me." She frowned but stated that it was just a matter of opinion and that I would never catch her feeding on one. I couldn't help but to smile at how naïve she was. Did she really think that I had never fed on a child? They weren't my ideal meal seeing as how little blood they had, but I wouldn't refuse one if they were offered to me. Why should I?

A knock on the door announced Jane's arrival. I wasn't surprised; Jane and I were rarely apart, even after all these years. I went to open the door and greet my sister. I briefly glanced at Cassi to see her with pursed lips and eyes down. Was that fear I saw on her face? It would seem as if she had some problems to work out with my sister and I would be there to help her along the way.


	4. Chapter III: Go Figure

**Rated M mostly because we all know Jane is exactly the angel she appears to be.**

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><p><strong>Chapter III: Go Figure<strong>

**Jane's POV**

To say I was furious would be an understatement. I was pissed! If that rat so much as even guessed that she was worth my brother's attention she had another thing coming. How dare she? I could feel a hiss rising to my throat and decided it best not to allow Aro to see how very little control I had right now. If someone had so much as stepped into my line of sight I would have tortured them until they couldn't scream any longer.

I stormed after them as they left the throne room. My vision turned red when I realized where they were headed. My brother's room? Did Alec want me to rip her head off? I couldn't help but to imagine what it would be like if he did.

_I'd walk into the room to see Alec secretly pointing to the rat. "Kill her." He'd mouth to me, wanting just as badly as I did to give her a painful death. I'd smile at my brother, showing that I wasn't going to let her go that easy. I'd set my sight on her and go full out. I'd relish at her screams, begging over and over for me to stop but I wouldn't. I'd keep her there writhing in pain until she could hardly take it anymore. Then I'd stop._

_She, like most vampires, would jump immediately to her feet and put her back to a wall, trying to defend herself from me. I'd only smile and take a step closer to her. She'd try to escape but I wouldn't let her. Just as she grows the balls to make a run for it, I'd jump her. I'd pin her to the ground and hiss in her ear, "Were you really so stupid to believe he ever cared for you? Did you really think we'd let you get in the way of our climb to power? Did you?" _

_She'd whimper then, as she had so many times when we were alone as humans. She'd beg me to let her go and that's when I'd start ripping her to pieces. First, would come off her hands and arms. Then I'd start to pull off her toes. I'd take my time doing this, giving her the most excruciating death I could manage. Then to top it off, right before I go to burn her, I'd use my power again. Then the sweet, sweet smell of burnt vampire would fill the room and Alec would hug me, thanking me for getting rid of such a nuisance._

My fantasy was interrupted by a small cry of horror coming from the scum I hated so much. Some may call it bloodlust but there was no blood in her body and I knew that. I wanted her gone because she didn't deserve to live. She should have died all those years ago with everybody else. If she thought I hated her then, she had no idea what hatred felt like. My human feelings weren't even a quarter of how I _felt_ for her now. I had a rising determination to make my fantasy true as I heard my brother's response.

"I feed on who's available. I don't pick and choose. They're all the same to me." It wasn't as much as what he said but how he said it. He was so calm and alluring. Was my brother trying to make the girl like him? What the hell was going on in there? I had enough control to knock politely on his door rather than barge in as I was so tempted to do If this came down to who Alec would pick, I was going to win. There was no way that I was going to let this little bitch take my brother from me, no fucking way. Alec opened the door and held it open for me. "Greetings, sister." He said softly with that clever look in his eyes that I knew all too well. Alec was up to something.

"Greetings." I replied, stepping forth into his room. Cassi did an odd half bow, half nod as a sign of welcoming me. _Seems the rat knows who the cat is. _"What are you two doing?" I pondered in a low monotone, fluttering my fingers lightly on Alec's stuff. I made sure to seem familiar to the room, a statement that should have given Cassi a hint. She didn't seem to take it.

"Cassi and I were just discussing a few things, nothing too serious. And what is it that I would have such a pleasure to greet you this early? You usually stay with the meal longer, did the humans bore you?"

"Naturally, how could they possible keep my interest when I know you are doing something far more fascinating? Besides, I wouldn't want our new guest to feel unwelcome. I think we should all get the chance to know her." I sent a warning glance to Cassi who simply lowered her eyes. Her body posture screamed fear; it wouldn't be long before I had her running for the hills.

"I feel quite welcome, Jane. Thank you for your concern." No, she was definitely not getting it. How more obvious could you get? I wanted her gone. It's not like it's a new concept to me and her. I had told her a long time ago that I wanted nothing to do with her. I thought that I had ensured that she would never go near Alec again. Didn't she remember? I know I did.

_"So the rat is on the hunt again. Why doesn't Miss Sneaky come out and greet the cat, hmm?" I observed as the small figure appeared out from the shadows. I suppose I couldn't really call her small. Cassi was taller than me, about as tall as Alec, but she was skinnier. I was quite amused with how thin she was. With a body like that, she'd probably starve in winter. I cherished the idea but it was too good to come true. Life was never that easy._

_"H – hello, Jane." She stuttered, not looking at me directly. Her eyes were lowered to the ground at my feet, never once did they drift to my face. I preferred it that way. What right did this scum have to look upon me? I nearly laughed at the thought. The answer: none what so ever._

_"Don't. Say. My. Name." I growled, making sure I got the point across. "I'm going to tell you this once and once only. If I _ever_ see you go anywhere _near_ my brother again, I will personally drag you to the deepest, darkest pit of Hell myself. Am I clear?" I said it starting in a pleasant tone and gradually making it sound more dangerous. I even smiled slightly._

_"Perfectly clear." She answered, still not peeking above her bangs._

_"Good. Now get lost before I make you lost!" She bolted away from me. I had to admit she was fast and smart. Well, sort of. Only an idiot would have gone near Alec in the first place but at least she was smart enough to leave when I told her to. If she kept it up I might rethink the whole killing her when I was older idea. I never got the chance._

The clarity of my memories scared me a little. Human experiences were supposed to fade and become blurry and unclear. I had believed this to be true as I could never really see into my memories that much anyway. But now? They were as solid and clear as a polished diamond, at least the ones with Cassi in them were. Thinking of the bitch…

"Would you mind if my sister and I had a little alone time?" Alec asked courteously before I could command her exit. Cassi simply shook her head and walked out. Well, more like sped out. She must have known that I wasn't someone to play with or I don't think she would have moved so quickly.

As soon as she was out of ear-shot, Alec turned around and faced me. His arms were crossed and he had an amused look in his eyes. This was no going to be good for me. The fact that I could tell this was horrifying. Alec never ever give anyone a hint that he was about to attack. Unless you were one of those pissy mind readers we hate so much. Neither of us mind Aro but Edward could go suck a dick for all we cared.

"What?" I demanded, not liking the look he was giving me.

"Didn't mother ever teach you that jealousy is a feeble thing?" _What? Did he really just bring up mom?_

"What the Hell does that have to do with anything?"

"Language, my dear sister. And you know full well what I'm talking about." I laughed, I couldn't help it. My brother thought I was jealous of the rat. Could he be any more wrong?

"You think I'm jealous of the _thing_ that practically ran away because I entered the room?" I didn't even get the chance to shake my head when all of a sudden; Alec had my back pressed to a wall with a hand on either side of my head. In public I was always the more assertive one, the apparent leader but in truth, Alec was the head of us two. He was more capable of making wise decisions and keeping a level head. He also had the ability to see things from every angle instead of attacking them head on. We were complete opposites.

"You see, Jane, had I been guessing I would have asked instead of stated. You are _very_ jealous of Cassi and it is _very_ obvious. Now, if you are willing to act with some dignity and retain that little scrap of respect I have left for you, I will most joyfully allow you to move away from the wall." Alec's bright red eyes were a threat in themselves. I had never once, human or vampire, been able to deny those big, round eyes.

Most siblings would have fought but I knew better. There was no way I was going to move from the position I was in unless I agreed to Alec's terms. Unless of course… I shook the thought out of my head. We had both agreed to never use our powers on each other ever again, not even when we were practicing. Neither of us enjoyed seeing the other weak and defenseless. It brought back too many bad memories.

"Fine." I grumbled. He frowned but allowed me up anyway. I had to be careful to act mature or it was back to the wall and how I hated that wall. "I'm not jealous of her though. I have no reason to be jealous of her. What does she have that I don't?"

"Mine point exactly, sister, but that doesn't mean you're not jealous. I see it in the way you look at her. You hate everything about her and yet you are jealous. I don't understand."

"I'm not jealous."

"Oh, you're not?" Alec raised an eyebrow at me in mock confusion. "Because it seemed to me that you were quite jealous. So much in fact that you were hoping that I would tell you to rip her head off for me. Was I wrong?" You know how when you just want to tape your siblings mouth shut and laugh? Yeah, this was one of those times. I really hate how inquisitive Alec was, but at the same time I had to love it. We could read each other so well sometimes that we didn't even have to say a word. It gave us the upper hand in battle.

"And if I am a tad bit jealous?"

"Why?" He exclaimed. He really didn't have a clue.

"Because, Alec! She wants to steal you away from me and you're going to let her. I thought she was dead. She should be dead! We should kill her. Aro should have killed her when she strolled into the throne room earlier. It's not fair that some stupid mutt can come in and ruin everything we have with each other. You can't just let her do that."

"Jane."

"Not only that but she doesn't approve of us. You heard that when she nearly fainted because you said you fed on children. What kind of vampire is so emotionally attached that they feed on humans but can't even stand the idea of touching a child. And what did she say about your pictures? She probably scolded you for them…"

"Jane."

"And don't even get me started on what a nuisance she would be. She's like a little moral filled human trapped in a hunter's body. Why doesn't she go ruin the Cullen's life or something? They'd probably welcome her too with hugs and kisses and 'welcome home's. It's not like she's meant for the Volturi. She wanted to make sure we were okay. She came, she saw, and now she should leave. If she wanted…"

"Jane! Listen to me!" He shouted, gripping me by the shoulders. "Cassi is not here to judge us and she has no want to ruin our lives or even disrupt how we feed. There is no way possible that she could steal me from you because you have been and always will be the most important aspect of my life. You are my sister and the only true friend I had the fortune of having. I. Would. NEVER. Leave you. EVER! Do you understand?" I nodded like the naughty, arrogant child I was because Alec was right. How could I have been so stupid to even think that he might choose Cassi over me? It was an impossibility, simple as that.

"Come on, kidos! It's practice time!" Felix shouted, entering the room rudely. This was no surprise to Alec or me but I wondered how Cassi would feel. Had she ever fought against a skilled vampire before? I highly doubted it. Still…

"Come, sister, we wouldn't want Aro to be angry with us." Alec grabbed my hand and we followed leisurely behind Felix. It had been a long time since our last practice so most of the guard would attend. We were supposed to have one after every meal but the missions had been coming in at record speed and it was rare that the entire guard would be in Volterra for a meal. This allowed the others who were here to relax for the time being. I knew that Aro wouldn't let this one slide with most of the coven present and a new vampire being added to the group.

Walking into the cavern in which we practiced in (it use to be several large rooms and a hallway but Aro had the walls torn down to fit our purpose), I spotted Cassi standing in a dark corner near our energetic master. She didn't seem worried, stupid girl.

"So, who will be our first participants? Cassi? Santiago? Would you do the honors?" Aro exclaimed loud enough for all of us to hear. Neither Cassi nor Santiago seemed thrilled with the idea but they both stepped into the middle. "Good. Now, you've never fought a skilled vampire before, have you, Cassi?" The only reason why Aro would bother to ask this at all is so that we would know how inexperienced she was. She shook her head, confirming his statement. "Well, this should be interesting." He laughed.

The fight started rather slowly. Both of them were attempting to discover the others technique but neither were giving a single hint. Finally, Santiago got fed up with the mind games and ran headlong at Cassi. I thought she was a goner but then she popped up behind him. Wait, what? The audience gasped as Santiago turned around confused. Cassi didn't seem the least bit disturbed, so she had a power after all. Marvelous.

He charged her again, kind of. He did an odd jerking movement just as he was about to collide with her and took a step back. Only, this time she wasn't there either. Cassi was now to his left and seemed just about as confused as Santiago, as if she didn't understand why he was acting so weird. Did she not realize what she was doing?

After a few more minutes of this, I began to bore of their game. "You do realize the point is to finish off your enemy as quickly as possible, right?" I pushed, hoping she would take my advice. Cassi simply ignored me while Alec let a small smirk slip through his mask of nothingness. Though she didn't respond in a way I predicted, she did heed my words. Within seconds she had Santiago on his knees, both arms pinned behind his back, and his head pulled back so that her teeth were scrapping his neck.

"I do believe you would be considered dead if this situation were to actually occur." Cassi hissed before leaping away. I glanced at my master to see whom he would choose next but instead he had something else to inquire.

"Cassi, dear, would you mind running from where you are to that end of the room?" Aro asked, pointing to the farthest possible point from where she stood. She looked at it, began to ran, and then was suddenly there. A few low hissed could be heard from several guards, myslef included. I knew that Cassi was fast, I did not, on the other hand, think that she had the ability to teleport.

_List of things Cassi has that I don't; the ability to teleport. _Perhaps I wasn't being absurd after all. If Cassi could teleport across a room, who knew what she was capable of doing to get between Alec and I. Oh how I hated her. Suddenly, a triumphant clap distracted me. Of course Aro would be pleased. "This is quite fascinating, child. I'm very curious at how far this little gift of yours can be extended. But first, why don't we see another duel. Alec, Jane, why don't you two take the floor?"

We both glanced at each other in confusion. Aro knew our agreement to never hurt the other. It was not something we were willing to break, not even for our master. I didn't quite understand what he wanted. Aro must have caught on to where our thoughts had trailed because he quickly said, "I just mean for you to show an example of what you can do. Then we shall see if Cassi's gift can withstand the force of yours."

I knew Alec was not pleased with the idea but we stepped forward anyway. As always, Felix was sent to be experimented on. I felt slightly bad for him, slightly. After Alec's mist had reached Felix and he went brain dead, like so many others of his victims, I came forth. Looking directly at Felix, I remembered all the pain inflicted on me while being strapped to that cursed stake. He dropped to the floor screaming. I caught a glimpse of Cassi moving back warily out of the corner of my eye.

This was going to be fun.

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><p><strong>Woohoo! A chapter! Sorry this took so long but school work and writer's block really affected me. Not to mention that I had trouble portraying Jane as not only a little twisted but still as scared and clingy to Alec as she should be. I hope you enjoyed and please review. :D<strong>


	5. Chapter IV: Failing Epically

**Sorry this took sooooooo sooo long guys. Hope you enjoy it.**

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><p><strong>Chapter IV: Failing Epically<strong>

**Cassi's POV**

Seeing Alec's and Jane's powers was, to put it kindly, rather scary. I was supposed to fight these two? Together, none the less? There had to be some mistake. Not only did I hate the idea of harming the twins but I didn't stand a chance either. Alec could take away someone's senses and Jane could cause immense pain. This was perfect.

As Felix stood warily and shook his head as if clearing away some unpleasant thought, I replaced him. I was going to be utterly hopeless in this duel. Only the sight of Alec's own hesitance gave me some relief. Jane, on the other hand, seemed thrilled with the idea of being able to harm me. For the first time in a long time I was actually frightened for my own well being. It must take a lot to get a big guy like Felix down on the ground like she did. Who knew what she could do to me?

This fight did not start out slow like the one with Santiago. Considering there was little to no physical contact needed for them to win, Jane attacked immediately. Her ruby red eyes bored into me and a felt flames engulf my entire body but I refused to lose do to this. Seeing Felix stand up as easily as he had, led me to believe that the pain was just an illusion. That meant that I should still be able to function properly. I was correct.

I made myself teleport to where I was standing behind Jane. I found this process surprisingly easy to do. I had never known that I had a power until a couple of moments ago. It seemed impossible that I could have so much control over it so swiftly. Then again, I had probably been using it unknowingly for over a thousand years. It really shouldn't have been a surprise to me but to Jane and the rest of the Volturi, it was a big one.

I knew that Jane would be the key asset to whether I won or lost this fight. I decided to take her out instantly. I was behind her in seconds and had her in the same position I put Santiago in. Knowing I had a power really seemed to help my fighting skills. She hissed as she was forced off the stage and I was left to her brother.

Alec looked at me with a frown upon his face. He hadn't made a move since the fight began. I couldn't even see his mist swirling to and fro. Beating him would be far more difficult than beating Jane. This was how Alec and I were alike. Both of us thought strategically and all the way through things. We both quickly scanned through all the possibilities and made the best decision. Battling him would be more like playing a mind game than actually fighting.

As if this fact wasn't bad enough, I really didn't want to hurt Alec. I had barely touched Jane but to make Alec admit defeat would be nigh impossible. I had seen him when he was human. I knew him as he grew up and I saw how he fought. Not even when he had been accused of witchcraft and knew the stake was the last place for him did he give up. He had still fought in hopes of saving his sister. Perhaps his new motivation would be to redeem her.

That's when things got a whole lot more difficult. I had just proven myself as a worthy threat and the entire coven was ready to get between us if need be. I did not like the idea of that at all. I had no want to hurt Alec. Didn't they know that? With what felt like a thousand different eyes boring into my back, I made the first move. Alec counteracted it with ease. I saw this as a good thing. At least he didn't rely solely on his gift.

I pushed forward and Alec parried all of my moves. It wasn't long before we seemed lost in an intricate dance in which we weaved back and forth with each other. In a way, or movements reminded me of serpents. We both had a lazy confidence about us and moved with liquid grace. I think even the most pristine dancer would be jealous of the art we were creating here.

"My children, God gave you gifts for a reason, use them!" Aro stated after long minutes of this dance. Had it really only been minutes? It felt like hours. Clear annoyance flashed across Alec's face. I think he was enjoying this dance as much as me. He didn't argue with his master though and sent foggy mist my way. It was just as easy to avoid as Jane's own power. Sort of.

Alec's power was a trickier than Jane's. His could flow in all directions and crawled across the ground instead of simply going to whom ever his eyes focused on, instantly. For the moment, he was untouchable. This didn't dissuade my determination. Somehow I would win this game.

I did a fake coin toss in the back of my mind, deciding whether or not I should attempt to finish this quickly. Seeing his mist all around me was not helping me come up with how exactly I should go about this. The coin said I should go so I flew. I was across the room in seconds and I watched Alec's confusion as he sought out the place I had gone. Then, while his mist faltered and retreated, I reappeared behind him.

I was not going to try the same position as with Jane and Santiago. I knew Alec was smarter than that and not to mention his power would get to me. Instead, I shoved him roughly to the floor and knelt on top of him. My hand was just under his chin, ready to send his head flying if I wished. I had won fair and square, or so I thought.

I should have known better than to think that Alec would accept defeat. He spun me around and sent his power at me. I was lost. Blackness was everywhere. I didn't know where I was or how I got there. I couldn't hear or smell or feel. I didn't even know if I was breathing or not. It took what felt like an eternity for me to come up with the conscious decision to teleport far away from where ever I was.

In my mind, at least that's where I think I saw it, I came up with an image of Aro standing in the room and I wanted to be right next to him. Disorientation swamped my senses as they returned in the blink of an eye. The sudden brightness and loud sounds made me stumble. Luckily, Aro caught and steadied me. This was probably not the best time to be unable to stand on your feet.

My eyes lifted as they adjusted to the new light and I scanned for Alec. When I found him standing in the middle of the room I nearly launched at him. Aro caught my arm and shook his head. "You've already won." He told me and stepped out into the open. "I must say, my children, that was highly impressive. It would seem that our newest member has quite a power and a worthy mind. Not only did she manage to escape our lovely Jane's power but Alec's as well. Think of this as you head back to your rooms. I would hope that perhaps someone may be able to defeat such a gifted vampire." This was an obvious dismissal but many hesitated before leaving. Most of them shot worried glances and hard glares my way as they left.

I don't think vampires are supposed to get tired but I was. My entire body felt drained and over used. Don't even get me started on the pain I was feeling. It was as though my mind was being wrenched into halves. I didn't bother to leave the room with the rest of the coven. Instead, I collapsed on a near by wall and covered my face with my hands. I was actually beginning to feel nauseous. What the hell was wrong with me?

The presence of another vampire reminded me of where I was. He sat beside me and let out a heavy sigh. I peeked up from under my bangs at Alec's tired face. Had he ever lost before? Knowing him and the full affects his power could have on a vampire, I doubted it. His ruby eyes fell down to meet mine. They showed confusion and worry, as if he wasn't sure of what was wrong with me. "Cassi, are you okay?" He asked softly.

I shook my head and moaned as the movement sent a high pitched noise sounding in my ears. I was lucky that my heart didn't beat or my head would have been pounding. I really needed some help. His hand came down and he used it to lift my chin up. Alec stared intensely into my eyes, looking for what the problem was. Oh, if only he knew.

"What's the matter?" He demanded, stumped.

"I don't think it was very smart of me to teleport out of your power's range like that. Everything is magnified and my head hurts. I can't even begin to describe. I thought vampires weren't supposed to get headaches." I sighed, putting my head between my hands. I didn't want to look helpless in front of Alec but there was little I could do. How was I supposed to hide exactly what I was, helpless?

"Come on." He muttered, grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet. The world tilted at an odd angle and I fell down again. He sat back down beside me and pulled something out of his pocket. He handed me a vial full of a dark red liquid. "Drink this. It will help, or should." The high ranking guard commanded. I sniffed it hesitantly. Vampires were not supposed to be affected by drugs and we couldn't eat human food. What was Alec giving me?

The strange liquid smelt like human blood with a twist to it. Almost as if the donor, if you would call it that, was on some weird steroid. If I had thought human blood would help me I would have gone hunting. It didn't help that Alec was just carrying around a small vial in his pocket. "Have some faith, Cassi. You were all about trust when we were human. Give me a little." I knew he was attempting to encourage me but it only made me all the more suspicious. I downed the blood anyway.

OH! MY! GOD! There were no words to describe how this tasted. Blood on steroids was not an accurate description. My head stopped hurting and I felt as good as new in an instant. "What is that stuff?" I requested, so excited I nearly shouted at him. Alec just laughed.

If I had a beating heart it would have stopped. I hadn't seen Alec laugh since we were toddlers, many years before the burning. This gift was like receiving an early Christmas present that happened to be exactly what you wanted though you never expected to get it. Alec was not a very open person, never had been. What had I done to make him laugh so happily and easily as this? And it wasn't a mocking jeer but a true, honest display of humor and delight. I needed to do this more often.

"It's werewolf blood." He answered after his fit ended.

"I thought it was piousness."

"So does every other vampire but it's not. It can actually help us. I discovered this a little less than a year ago." I beckoned for him to continue. "Well, it'd probably help if you understand why you felt like crap in the first place.

"As you know, vampires aren't supposed to get tired but we do have our limits. When it comes to our powers it gets a little more discreet on exactly where the line is drawn between capable and incapable. Usually, when one of our kind attempts to cross this line they are met by a wall of disappointment and frustration, but sometimes they make it through. They then meet our equivalent of 'tired'. When a vampire goes passed its breaking point we don't collapse but instead become increasingly dizzy, disorientated, nauseous, sick, and angry in most cases.

"I finally crossed my own breaking point a little more than a year ago. Cassi, how much do you know about the Volturi?"

"I know that your main focus is to keep the vampire society and population a secret from the mortal world." I responded without a second thought.

"You don't know about our major conflicts?"

"Nope."

"Okay… I suppose its better that way. Going on, I'll try to summarize as best as I can, we got into a fight with another coven. One of the members was a shield who could protect the rest of the coven from psychic attacks like mine and Jane's. I attempted to break through her shield but it was little use. Somehow, in the process, even though I didn't succeed in numbing them, I passed the limit my ability has.

"After we decided to come to a tie, our coven departed from their territory. I was left feeling how you did but I don't think to the same extent. Still, can you imagine having to deal with that for three months? It sucked. Especially since every time I tried to use my power, it never worked quite right. My masters almost gave up on me ever using my power again.

"That's when I came across a werewolf. The beast was hardly in the right state of mind and attacked me without thinking. I don't know why but I felt the urge to bite him. When I did so the feelings of 'tiredness' went away. I didn't drain him completely because you become full faster when drinking werewolf blood. I stored the rest of his blood in vials like the one I gave you. I carry at least two of them where ever I go. Who knows when I or someone else in the coven might need them?"

"Wow. I don't think I could have made those three months. That must have sucked." I stated in a low monotone that scared me a little. I'm not sure why but it kind of reminded me of Jane. Yeah, that probably wasn't a good thing. Practically everything about Jane was scary or sadistic, unless you were Alec of course. He got to see the good side of Jane when ever he felt like it.

"So… What's up with powers around here anyway? It seems like almost everybody has one. And I'd like to know what's up with the different shades of black cloaks too." I pried, flicking the side of Alec's nearly solid black cloak. I remembered Felix's was almost a light gray.

"Cassi, you really are clueless aren't you?" I nodded. Alec gave a half smile that almost reached his eyes. I'd have to work on making him laugh like I had before. I guess being stupid wasn't the key. "Can you give me a basis on what you _do_ know about the Volturi?"

"I already told you, the Volturi's job is to keep the secret of our race from the human world."

"You don't know any more? Nothing at all?"

"Look, I've lived a mostly solitary, nomadic life and when I was with Garret, he wasn't really much of a history teacher. He taught me how to fight, to stay away from the Volturi, and made sure that I could clean up my own mess. We were busier staying off the grid and living history than learning about it. According to him, that's all I needed to know to survive."

"Perfect…" He sighed. I didn't like the annoyed tone of voice he was giving me. It's not like I asked him what fifty times two was. Did he forget who he was talking to? I'm mean, I am Cassi after all. The ratty little orphan girl who had never learned to read or write. Hmm… With the way he was reacting now, I doubted I should tell him how illiterate I was just yet.

"If you didn't want to tell me all you had to do was say so. I'm sure I can find someone else who would be more than happy to explain. I didn't mean to be a bother." I stood up and began to walk away. Then I decided I'd rather teleport so Alec couldn't keep up with me.

"Cassi, wait." He called out, grabbing my arm just as I began to teleport. We landed in a heap in an alternate universe. Or at least it looked that way. Then I caught sight of a bar and people dancing. Oh my goodness, I had teleported Alec and I to a strip club. Lovely, just lovely.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Mr. Man decided that he liked it. What the heck was wrong with him? Didn't he have any sense of his virtue? _Obviously not._ I thought as he began to walk over to some random stripper on a pole.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review. Have some very merry holidays! ;D<strong>


	6. Chapter V: Games

**Here is another chapter... Hope you enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Chapter V: Games<strong>

**Alec POV**

Of all the places Cassi could take me, she takes me to a strip club. I had already guessed that this wasn't where she had intended to go but her stomping over and grabbing my collar confirmed that suspicion. I don't understand why she seems so surprised and outraged; I am a guy after all. Plus, being a hundred times older than my physical age really does something to a person. Still, she went off on me like any woman with a lick of virtue would do.

"Where do you think you're going? We need to get out of here as soon as possible. We could be in Australia for all we know!"

"One, you're the one who teleported us here, not me. Two, I doubt you could have sent us to Australia if you could hardly manage to teleport out of my power. Three, where were you originally going to teleport? We're probably just a little short of there." I said over the loud music and the crowd.

"I… Ugh!" She grabbed my hand and began pulling me along, away from the sexy Asian stripper that had caught my eye. Cassi dragged me to the farthest corner possible from the woman and it happened to be the quietest part of the club. "I was going to go to Felix, or attempt to anyway. Shouldn't we at least still be in the castle if I fell short of where I meant to go?" I honestly could not believe her stupidity. Did she think we stayed in the castle all the time? Knowing Felix, we probably landed only a few feet from him. I began to look around for the big guy.

"Cassi, if you were going to Felix, you most likely made it. I'm sure he's around here somewhere." She stared at me in shock.

"What?"

"We don't stay in the castle all the time, some of us like to have fun. This place is perfect for Felix. There are plenty of women to play around with in here." I smiled as my eyes landed on a familiar sign. I had guessed correctly to where we were. _Striscia Tarda Notte _or strip late at night. It was my and Felix's favorite place to go when we were bored.

Suddenly, I found my back pinned to a wall and Cassi was glaring at me with a dangerous look in her eyes. This was only the second time I had seen directly into her eyes and this time they were filled with hurt and anger. Wait a second, hurt? I could understand the anger but why the pain? "Why do you look like you know this place like the back of your hand? How many times have you come here?" She demanded.

Two reasons popped into my head at why she would be hurt by me knowing this place. The first was totally absurd so I accused her of the second. Flipping us around so that I had her pinned to the wall, I pressed myself against her. By the way she squirmed away from me like this was all new and weird to her confirmed my second accusation.

"You're a virgin, aren't you?" I almost laughed. Cassi had experienced the world and she hadn't experienced sex? That was a hard bite to swallow.

"Well, yeah… Aren't you?" I actually did start laughing and she cringed away from it. I don't care who or what you are, a 1200 year old virgin was comical. Not even Carlisle Cullen was a virgin. Then again, he had a mate where as Cassi was single. Had she even had her first kiss yet?

"You aren't." She muttered sadly, peering down at her feet. Then, a spark of anger flashed back into the orphan and she pushed me off of her. "If you want to stay here and party away a night full of sin, be my guest. I'm going back to the estate." I almost let her go but thought better of it. There were too many things she didn't know for me to let her go back home just yet.

"There's no way I'm letting you go back with out me." I growled.

"If you want to come with you're more than welcome." I shook my head and took a firm hold of her wrist. Tonight, she was mine. She would go nowhere with out me and we weren't leaving.

"No, you're staying here with me."

"Thanks for the offer but no thanks. I'm not letting you take away my innocence because you think it's funny that I've stayed true this long." The venom in her voice took me aback. I had never thought of the little orphan as dangerous but she appeared that way now. I must have offended her.

"I don't think you have much of a choice." I hissed pushing her back into the wall. Her frustration shone in her eyes and she gave me a very familiar smile. It was the same one Jane used whenever she was about to hurt someone with her power or was in the middle of doing so. Seeing it on Cassi nearly made me give in but I wasn't so easily dissuaded. Then, the world jolted all over again. I fell to the floor after Cassi teleported us. I really did not like her gift.

We were in the practice hall again. I figured that this was the only place that Cassi had thought would suit what ever purpose she had thought of. You could easily tell that she was up to something. I just didn't know what and I was hesitant to find out. That smile was bound to haunt me for the rest of my immortal life.

"What, Alec, not so big and strong now that you're not surrounded by perverts and horrors or is it the fact that I didn't bend to your will?" She knelt down to my level and pulled my chin up so we were seeing eye to eye in every sense besides the figurative manner. She was most definitely pissed. "Did you really think that I would allow you to control me? I am _not_ who I used to be. Don't ever try something like that again or I _will_ fight you. Are we perfectly clear?" I nodded. "Good." She spat and released me, walking away.

I stood up and watched as she paced and pinched the bridge of her nose. For once, I actually felt ashamed. Perhaps I should apologize to her. I decided against the idea. The way she moved warned me that it was best to just leave her alone. I waited, hoping she would speak to me. After several minutes, I couldn't stand the silence any longer. I needed to know what she was thinking.

"Cassi…" I started.

"Shut up, Alec. I, honestly, couldn't care less about what you have to say. I think I might actually rip your tongue out if you start speaking." She didn't look at me but continued to pace and pinch her nose as she said this.

"But, Cassi, I…"

"Do you have a death wish?" She demanded, pausing and looking up at me. Sometimes, with how old we were technically, it was hard to remember that Cassi, Jane, and I were really only at the mental stage of a 12 year old, even younger for Cassi. What was she when she was changed, like 10? For the most part, I'd like to think we've matured a little. Still, looking at Cassi's young, confused face made me pause.

She was a virgin. I could live with that. I actually preferred it that way. I wish my sister still was. She had never experienced a strip club and probably has no idea what a horny guy looks like. She had most likely never seen as much skin of another woman as she had tonight. Why had this seemed so absurd to me when we were in the club? Why had I acted the way I did?

That's right, because in the club it's hard to imagine that someone could be innocent. There, I had felt older and more mature. I hadn't felt like a 12 year old kid but a grown man, maybe even a 1200 year old man. But here in the castle, all that changed. My physical age was clear to me and so was hers. Cassi was an, honest to God, virgin. She was innocent. A young, innocent, orphan girl who still felt bad for killing a priest and refused to prey on children. She was Cassi.

"No but I do want to talk to you."

"Has is ever occurred to you that I don't want to talk? Do you ever think at all?"

"Cassi, has it ever occurred to you that you might be over reacting?"

"I am not… Oh, you're right. I'm over reacting." She leaned against a wall and slid to the floor. I strode over and joined her. I was thankful that she had finally calmed down enough to let me talk to her. "I still don't want to talk to you." Or not.

"Well, can I at least talk to you?" She lifted her head and glared at me.

"Considering that even if I say no you will talk anyway, I suppose. But don't expect me to engage you in conversation. I'm still mad at you." I smiled triumphantly.

"Cassi, I'm sorry. I really am. I know that it was wrong of me to make fun of you the way I did. I don't know what got into me but it all seemed very absurd, unreal. 1200 years old and still a virgin, huh?" She crossed her arms and nodded. "I wish I could say the same." I her eyes peered up at me from under her lashes filled with hurt again. "What?" I demanded. She shook her head and then thought better of it and began to explain.

"I've spent my entire life looking for you to make sure you were alright. I've done my best to stay as innocent as possible when I kill people for food. I've accepted Christ as my lord and savior. I've been baptized more times than I care to count and you?" She gave me a mocking laugh as if she just couldn't believe it. "I don't even know. You've obviously lost your virginity and are just as experienced as any male would be. You've drawn unholy images and forsaken God. Alec, I'm having trouble understanding why I sought you out in the first place."

I shut down. She had practically just told me she didn't understand why she bothered and it _hurt_. I had a brief flashback of my father throwing a torch onto a pile of dry wood beneath my foot. This was exactly like that only worse. Why? Because I actually thought that Cassi and I had something together. That statement had just ripped my heart to pieces and I didn't even know I had one. I was definitely beyond help.

"Okay," was all I could manage to say. Cassi shot a worried glance at me and sighed.

"Okay, then. If that's all you have to say I think I'll go now." She stood up and went for a hasty escape. I didn't bother stopping her. Suddenly, my vision turned red and I began to follow the rat. Who the Hell did that girl think she was to deny me? I fall in love with her in less than a night after not seeing her for a thousand years and she thought she could just leave me? It was her fault I felt this way and she was going to take care of it. I loved her. She would just have to grow some balls and take it.

I snuck up from behind and slammed her into a wall. I wasn't thinking anything through, just going along with whatever fate decided for me. I let a low hiss escape my throat as I glared into her large, terrified eyes. She wasn't breathing anymore and her body language screamed fear. The fear radiating from her only made me angrier. I didn't want her to be scared of me, that was the last thing I wanted. She didn't fear me when we were human, why start now?

"Alec, calm down. What's wrong?"

"You, this, everything!" I spat. She, again, flinched away from me.

"If you want me to leave, I can. I don't want to be a bother to your life. I can see you're perfectly happy here without me." Didn't she get it? That was the problem, I wasn't happy without her. I wanted to be with her. What didn't she understand about that?

That's when I finally used my brain to put two and two together and, sure enough, the answer was right in front of me. Cassi was a naturally shy child, there had to be something that triggered this venomous side of her. Sadly, what had triggered it was me. I had been completely ignoring all the signs. Ever since we were no more but kids, I had been looking right past the obvious. My first accusation had been right all along.

My grip on her loosened and I gave her some room to breathe. My eyes stared into hers, confused. She simply looked away. I had successfully pissed the smiley orphan girl off. I had some real skill. "You should have just told me." I whispered.

"Told you what? That you're being absurd and rude and cruel? Yes, Alec, I'm sure you would have liked that very much." What was it with girls and their speeches? I wasn't going to let her get as far as Jane did so I put a finger over her lips and shook my head. "What, then? What is it that I 'should have just told you?' What do you want to know?"

"I want to know what you've wanted to tell me all these years."

"And what would that be? That I was scared for your life when I saw you strapped to that stake? Or have I wanted to tell you that I've followed you around since I could walk because you and Jane fascinated me? What is it, exactly, that I've wanted to tell you?"

"You tell me."

"I'm tired of this, Alec. I don't want to deal with you anymore."

"Yes, I'm sure you'd much rather talk to Jane about what's going through your mind right now. I could go get her if you like. We're never very far apart." Why couldn't she just admit it? I had already figured it out. Did I have to spell it out for her in big bold letters?

"Alec…" Her voice was softer now, as if she was giving up. I guess I did.

"I will make this very easy on you. Tell me, I L – O – V – E Y – O – U. It's not that hard." She stared up at me with those large, innocent, red eyes of hers. Her lips were pinched and if a vampire could get any paler, she did right at that moment. "Well, come on, I've already figured you out. Why can't you just say it?"

"Mostly because I still have no idea what you've figured out."

"I just spelled it out for you. What do you mean you still don't know?"

"Alec, I can't read or write or spell. I'm the dirty, little orphan girl, remember?" I froze. What else didn't she know? I was beginning to wonder if any of the experiences I had envied about her meant anything at all compared to what she didn't know and I did. She knew nothing about the Volturi, was a virgin (not that I was complaining), and illiterate.

"Are there any other secrets about your lack of knowledge that I should know?" That fact that she looked down at her feet scared me. "Go on."

"I don't know how to count, read a map, drive a car, or use a cell phone. I'm about as dumb as a rock when it comes to science and the only country I know where is, is Italy. I can only speak English and most modern machines are mysteries to me. I'm still confused on what the New World is and I don't know the definitions to a lot of large words. I can't, for the life of me, tell you which way North, East, West, or South are and I've only recently discovered which way was left and which is right. Must I really continue?"

"Cassi! Didn't Garret teach you anything?" I quickly put a finger back on her lips and shook my head. "Don't answer that. I, honestly, don't want to know. Getting back to the subject at hand…"

"Yes?"

"Little rat, I love you. Do you understand? I. Love. You. I think I have for awhile."

"Oh." Her eyes fell down again and she pursed her lips. "So that's what you figured out."

"Mmm hmm…" Her eyes flashed up and met mine. She had a cocky little grin on her face that had me worried. Her hands flew up, gripped me on either side of the face, and pulled my lips down to hers. Even if that kissed lasted for an eternity, it wouldn't heave lasted long enough. I was already going back for more when she pulled away. Only her finger stopped me from my desired destination.

Her head turned over and saw something. I followed her gaze and froze. I barely caught the image of my sister's pain filled expression before she was zooming away. Damn, I had completely forgotten about Jane. How could I be such a horrible brother? My sister needed me, was always there for me, and how do I repay her? By forgetting everything I told her, everything I promised. I would understand if she hated me. She deserved to hate me. Hell, Cassi deserved to hate me for what I was about to do.

"I…"

"I know. Go make sure Jane's okay. Family comes first." I nodded at her understanding and followed in hot pursuit after my sister. I hoped I got to her before she crossed some unlucky bystander. I wouldn't be surprised if she killed him for simply being there with the mood she must be in. I totally fucked up whatever relationship we had.

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><p><strong>So... Do you like the pissed off Cassi or when she's all shy and sweet better? How do you think Jane's response to all this would be? Please review and tell me what you think. XD<strong>


	7. Chapter VI: Fuck Me

**OMG! I'm back! I know it's been forever and I don't know if there's anyone left reading but here's another add. It's short, I know, but I plan to update soon anyway. So... Hi guys!**

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><p><strong>Chapter VI: Fuck Me<strong>

**Jane's POV**

Walking in on my brother kissing that _thing_ was probably the worse experience I had ever had. Did I no longer matter? Had I become a worthless piece of shit in the short course of the night? I was just moving at the moment. Not really thinking of where I was going or what I wanted to do, when an idea came to me. I could solve all of this, tonight.

I began to pay attention of where I was headed and used the halls to create an intricate maze for anyone following me. If I could just make it back to the cavern before Alec gave up on finding me or Cassi left, everything would go back to normal. My original plan had been the best after all. Kill her and there'd be no worries. Kill her and I could continue my life with my brother. No one would miss her much. Aro may be slightly disappointed but that shouldn't be a problem. It was only teleportation, nothing all _that_ special. I doubted he would even truly care.

I picked up my pace as I flew through the passageways, becoming more and more determined to succeed with my plan. Finally, I made it back to my starting point, and there she was, like a sitting duck. Her arms were crossed as she leaned against a wall, nibbling her lower lip. She had a faraway look in her eyes seeming to be deep in thought about something. Her tiny legs in her skinny jeans were crossed, one purple conver just barely touching the wall.

"Hello, Jane," she muttered, still not looking at me. I froze. She shouldn't have seen me yet. She didn't appear to be paying attention and I was being as quiet as possible.

"Cassi." I hissed. Her large, red eyes turned and focused on me. They were a glorious shade of red, one I had never seen before. They reminded me of roses. I had always hated roses.

"You can't kill me."

"I can try."

"It won't work."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to die. If I don't let you touch me, how do you expect to kill me? Face it, Jane, I'm untouchable. Practically invincible, at least, to you. So instead of making a fool of yourself and trying something that **is** impossible, turn around, find Alec, and talk it over with him." I was shell-shocked to say the least. Never once had the rat ever spoken to me that way. She didn't have the right to.

"I'll show you impossible," I growled, lunging for her, but she was already gone.

"I told you, this is pointless," her voice uttered from behind me. I whipped around, prepared to unleash my full power on her, but she had disappeared. "Stop, Jane. I don't want to do this." I attacked towards the sound but only managed to fall on my face.

"Jane, what are you doing on the floor?" My brother's voice, honestly confused, rang out from the hallway. I growled under my breath and peered around for the rat, but she was nowhere to be found.

"I hate her, Alec."

"I realize this, but what…?" I stood up and watched as his eyes filled with understanding. "You tried fighting her? She could have killed you, Jane! Didn't we already establish this earlier?"

"But I didn't kill her," the rat pointed out, reappearing behind Alec. "I don't want to hurt you, Jane. I told you that." I knew what she was trying to do; gain Alec's favor. I didn't even think when I decided to attack her, but she was on the floor writhing in pain in less than a second. Then she was gone all over again, leaving me to my brother's mercy. God damn it! He was going to push me back to the wall, I just knew it.

"Jane…" He sighed, taking a step towards me. I crossed my arms. I didn't want to listen to his fucking excuses and apologies. I wanted to murder that stupid bitch that thought she was better than me and worth more than me. I wanted to burn her body and laugh as my brother stood beside me, pleased with my work. Why did she have to ruin that? "I know I messed up. I'm…"

"Don't! Don't even attempt to make it up to me. You made a promise, Alec! You said I was more important than that temporary slut, but here I find you all over her! How could you? How _dare_ you! I don't want to lose you to that _thing_."

"I know, Jane. I know." He shrugged his shoulders, honestly as if at a loss of what to say. I just stared at him, incredulous. Alec was speechless? Alec, the brother that constantly scolded me, was speechless. "Isn't there anything I can do?" His eyes, so honest, always so concealed, were full of just pure guilt. It was so unlike him. This was different than my brother. This person I did not know.

"You can act like you, for starters." He just shook his head, rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms.

"You know what, Jane? You're completely right. I should just act like me. And what would I normally do in a situation like this?" He raised an eyebrow at me as if expecting an answer. "I'd tell her it's pointless. That she needs to go away and leave me alone. I'd forget about her and that'd be that. But, you want to know what else? That isn't what I want. I want her to stay near me, to be at my side. I want her acceptance just as surely as you give me yours. I want her, and I'm going to have her." My jaw dropped. _What did he just say? He's _going _to have her?_

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" I shouted. "No! No! You can't…" His hand covered my mouth as I was shoved roughly against the wall. "God damn this FUCKING WALL!" I growled, removing his hand from my mouth. "I can't believe you! YOU'RE WORTHLESS! YOU'RE JUST AS BAD AS FATHER!"

"And you're just as ignorant as him!" I lost it then. All the pain he was causing me, I threw it right back at him.

"I. Am. NOTHING! Like. Father." I hissed, standing over his body contorting on the floor. That's when I realized what I was doing. I stopped immediately, my anger flushed from my body. I stepped back as he pushed himself to his feet. "Alec," I whispered. He glanced at me, his expression shocked, confused, broken. "Alec," I repeated. He shook his head and began backing away.

"Don't follow me," he muttered, turning around and fleeing out of the cavern. I stood there, absolutely alone, and fell to my knees. What had I just done? My brother, the one who always looked after me, always helped me get whatever I desired, I had hurt him. I had used my power on him. The power that we both agreed we'd never use on one another, _I _had used, and out of anger, too. What was wrong with me? How was I supposed to win him back after that?

I didn't immediately acknowledge her presence as she appeared next to me. "Are you okay?" She whispered. I didn't respond. I couldn't. "I'm sorry, Jane. I didn't mean to cause any of this. You've always been here for Alec. I just wanted to make sure you guys were okay. I came, I saw, and now I'm leaving. I promise, this time, I won't come back." She didn't give me time to react before she had already left again. Fuck. What was Alec going to think?

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><p><strong>Oh no! Poor Jane... Yeah, she and Alec have some issues to work out but she's right; what is Alec going to think? More importantly, where did Cassi take off to? Check back soon to read the answers. ;)<strong>


	8. Chapter VII: Aunya

**WOOHOO! Another chapter! No, I don't own Alec or Jane or anybody from Twilight but I do own Garret, Aunya, and Cassi so back of my people peeps! Anway, I love you for reading and please review!**

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><p><strong>Chapter VII: Aunya<strong>

**Cassi's POV**

I took myself back to _Striscia Tarda Notte_, having nowhere else to go. I felt like crap, though. Worse than crap, actually. All I had ever wanted was to make Alec happy and I'm the one who ruins it for him. I caused him and his sister to fight, I utterly confused him with retarded emotions that children our age aren't supposed to feel, and, well, yeah. I judged him, argued with him, and fought him. "And to think it all happened in one measly night!" I exclaimed, dropping myself onto one of the chairs by the wall. I peered over at the stripper Alec had been fascinated by. Heck, she was probably better for him than me. Suddenly, I though of Garret.

"_Cut the crap, Cassi, and stop feeling sorry for yourself." Garret growled. I glared up at him and then peered back down at the body lying at my feet. She was a lovely young woman, the first human I ever killed. She had been in her early twenties with long, black hair and brown eyes. She hadn't even been married nor had her first child yet. I felt as if I had killed myself. "You're stronger now, can't you feel it?" I shook my head, actually feeling sick from guilt. He sighed. "You're weak and stupid in mentality."_

"_I know," I sighed, bending down and picking up the body. She was larger than me, so a little awkward to carry, but I took her deep into the woods and laid her in a patch of wild flowers anyway. I didn't bother to see if Garret approved. He had made me kill her; I was going to give her a proper burial at least. _

"_You have to get rid of the body," he pointed out. I nodded and began to dig into the soft dirt. Before long I had a fitting grave to lay her in. I lowered the body down gently and covered the sight up. I looked around, searching for something to mark her grave. Finally, I found what I was looking. I planted the seedling of a tree over the spot, hoping it would grow. "Good," he stated. "Bury the body and the memory with it. I advise you this, child. When you ever feel like this again, come here and talk to her soul. You'll feel better that way."_

"_How do you know?" I asked, perplexed._

"_I do it with my father's grave quite often."_

"_Who is your father?" I pondered, curious._

"_You wouldn't know him, child. He is very old."_

"_Like you?" He nodded. "How old are you, exactly?"_

"_Thousands of years. Thousands and thousands of years. And I assure you, that little tree will out live me." He patted me on the back and led me away._

"Well, you're feeling down, Cassi. Let's just see what remains of her." I stood and left the building to find a secure spot to teleport from. I knew that practically everyone in the club was drunk and had seen me teleport in, but I still felt the urge to be precautious. I found a dark ally and backed myself up into a corner. I didn't even know if I could make it that far but I would try. I closed my eyes and focused on the last time I had viewed that spot. It had been centuries ago, when Garret had died, and the tree had been living strong even though the wood had been thinning. I hoped it still remained.

I fell to my knees when landing, exhaustion taking place. I felt the sudden urge to feed. I pushed it away, praying it would disappear, along with the rest of my problems, by using the comfort of the tree. "Hello, Aunya," I called up to the towering oak. I had never known the woman's real name so I named her after Garret's sister. We had crossed paths with Aunya several times when Garret was alive but I hadn't seen her since his execution.

"How have you been?" I asked the friendly soul. I always had a comforting feeling, coming to her. I climbed up her limbs and hid among her branches. "I'm so pleased to see you're still standing." I told her, noticing that she was still surrounded by the older trees that were probably all either her siblings or parents. "I wonder how far the forest extends now. How much did the humans cut down this time?" I knew she wasn't answering me, she was just a tree, but when I was still I could feel the tiny hum of life coming from her and all around us. To me, it was an answer. The buzz was larger than last time, meaning the forest had actually grown. That was nice to hear. At least the nature sensitive folk were protecting this safe haven for me.

I thought more about Garret as I rested securely in Aunya's arms. I wondered what he would have thought about the crazy drama I had started. Actually, I knew exactly what he would have said when I had first heard where Alec was. _"We're not going, Cassi. This is ridiculous. He's obviously alive and therefore, we are not going to check on him. We leave the Volturi alone. Is that understood?" _I would have tried fighting him, but would've, eventually, given in due to the fact that he was right. Garret was always right about everything.

_Garret. Oh, sweet Garret. You helped me through so much. _And he had. Garret had taught me how to survive. He taught me how to track, how to hunt, how to live. He taught me how to find my bearings, how to fight, how to hide. He taught me how to make good decisions and how to stay away from potential enemies. He taught me how to cover up my trail and how to stay off the grid. No, he didn't teach me how to read or write or spell. He didn't teach me about maps and I wasn't even sure if he knew any of those things himself. I didn't care either way. It's only because of Garret that I was still alive. I had everything to thank him for. And it was my fault he was dead.

"There you are, child." I jumped out of my skin at the voice. I had been so tuned into my thoughts that I had completely forgotten to be aware of my surroundings. I could just imagine how Garret would have scolded me for that. I turned over and peered through the leaves at a tall, slender lady on the forest floor.

"Aunya?" I whispered, jumping down from my perch in the tree. I recognized her high cheekbones and lovely facial features. "Aunya!" I exclaimed. I jumped at her, embracing her in the biggest hug I could manage.

"Oof. Yeah… It's me. How are you?" She pushed me off of her and I smiled, bouncy with glee to see my old friend.

"I'm pretty good, I guess," I muttered, frowning slightly. She studied me up and down, as if not believing a word I said.

"You look depressed." I shrugged my shoulders and gave her a half-smile. "Well, that's alright, I guess. Man, my brother taught you well. When I found his ashes I searched everywhere for you, thinking, perhaps, the Volturi had dragged you off somewhere for questioning. Luckily it isn't so. I've been worried sick about you for ages!"

"Questioning?" I interrogated.

"Oh, don't worry about it, sweetheart. As long as you've avoided the Volturi, I'm safe." I quirked an eyebrow at her.

"But, Aunya, I haven't avoided the Volturi. I actually just left them. Can't you smell them on me?" I sniffed my shirt in confusion, recognizing Alec's, Santiago's, Jane's, and a number of other scents from inside of the castle. She froze, her pale features widening in surprise and horror. She slipped closer, touching my shoulder lightly and sniffed me. She jumped back in disgust, her elegant nose wrinkling in distaste.

"What have you done?" She cried, her beautiful voice strained by fear. I stared up at her in confusion. She towered above me with her tall and slender form. She had soft, brown curls that fell to her hips, high cheekbones, full, red lips, large, red eyes, and all around elegant features. She had always made me jealous by her appearance simply because she was _that_ lovely. She was wearing a short, dark blue, tank-top dress and white flip-flops.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand." I peered at her, hoping for an explanation. I wasn't sure I actually wanted to know, with her expression and all, but I needed to know. What had I just done?

"Did you touch his hand? DID YOU TOUCH HIS HAND!" She commanded, grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me.

"Whose hand?"

"The leader's, dear child! Did you touch his hand?"

"Of course! They wouldn't let me in if I didn't!" She stopped shaking me and gave a long, pleading cry to the heavens. She fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands, shaking her head as small, dry sobs shook her form. "Aunya, what did I do?" I pleaded, kneeling down beside her and feeling the awkward choking sensation that substituted tears. She embraced me randomly, cuddling me close to her breasts. She began to stroke my blonde hair.

"Sh… Shh. It's alright." She assured me, rocking me side to side. My emotions were always so obvious to Aunya. "You didn't know. You still don't know." I nodded, snuggling close to her, comforted by her forgiveness. She pulled back, her hands resting on my shoulders, and smiled. "Well, we can't have them finding us, dear. Come, come, little darling." I stood up with her, still utterly confused, and let her lead me away from my tree, away from my little safe haven.

Aunya sat me down on a counter in the bathroom of the gorgeous home she had brought me to. "Is this house yours?" I asked as she dug around in the cabinets below the counter. I felt better after she had assured me she wasn't angry at me. It hadn't taken us long to here but we had spoken a lot. She told me all about how she had bout this piece of land just because she knew it held my tree.

Aunya sat me down on a counter in the bathroom of the gorgeous home she had brought me to. "Is this house yours?" I asked as she dug around in the cabinets below the counter.

"Yes," she answered. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," I told her, truly admiring the architecture. It was a huge building that was just too perfect to describe. It even had a pool on the outside! The bathroom was huge too, not that vampires would need one. Well, besides for whatever Aunya wanted to do. She pulled out a large, black case and put it beside me. She opened it up and started pulling out weird powder objects and black stick-type-things.

"Do you want to live with me here?" I nodded vigorously, ecstatic that I would finally have a home. It would the first one I had ever had. She smiled at me softly and began to dab a white, puffy thing in the human skin-tone powder. "You have to hold still when I do this, okay?" I nodded again. "Anyway, before we can stay here we have to make a quick trip to America. And to do that, we have to make you look human and get you a passport."

"A passport? America? What are you talking about?" Aunya laughed out loud and shook her head.

"We have to fly to the New World. In order to do that we have to get permission for you to go by getting a passport. It's a little booklet-type-thing that says you can leave this country."

"But I leave countries all the time without them. Why do I need one now?"

"Well, as vampires we do leave lots of countries without permission but to be safe, and to get on a plane, we need one."

"What's a plane?" I wondered aloud, closing my eyes as she directed me to.

"Close them lightly, okay, sweetheart?" I did. "Anyway, a plane, or airplane, is like a giant, flying car with lots of people in it."

"I thought flying cars didn't exist. I heard a group of kids talking about how they hope to see the first one, one day."

"Well, it's like a flying car. But it's also like sitting inside of a giant, metal bird."

"It looks like a bird?" Aunya sighed, as if frustrated with her inability to explain an airplane to me. "Okay, so it's a giant, metal bird/car?"

"Yes and no. It holds a lot more people than a car and it doesn't, really look like a bird. It doesn't have a beak and the tail is different. It's safer than a car. Well, for humans, at least," she added, remembering that not even cars could really harm a vampire. "You'll see when we get there, Cassi."

"I guess…" I trailed off, suddenly thinking of Alec. Did he know what an airplane was? Had he ever gone to the New World? All of a sudden, I thought to mention to Aunya that I could probably just teleport us there but I thought against it. Maybe she already knew I had a special ability, but if she didn't I didn't want to tell her.

I nibbled on my lower lip as she left to go get something. I wondered what Alec was doing and whether or not he was thinking of me. I bet he wasn't. He had probably forgotten all about me already, well, shoved me out of his thoughts. I wasn't that important, anyway, just some stupid kid. Aunya strolled back in with silver, box-type-thing. She had a lot of stuff I didn't have clue about. "Smile!" she chirped. I did and I was suddenly flashed with a very bright light.

"What _is_ that thing?" I exclaimed, instinctively turning away.

"It's a camera, Cassi. You take pictures with it."

"Pictures? Are those like paintings?"

"Yes, but much, much better. They're clearer and exactly the same image you took a picture of. You're really out of touch with technology, aren't you?"

"Yeah… Kind of. I mean, I think I know the basics of things people use outside, and I know about light-bulbs and stuff, but I've kind of stuck to the woods all these years."

"500 years? You spent 500 years in the woods?"

"Mostly. I mean, I've stayed with a couple of families for a few days every now and again, but I preferred the forests. I'm familiar with them and I'm with things my own age, for the most part." She chuckled, nodding in understanding.

"My brother taught you well. I wish there was something my age still around," she admitted, sitting on the counter next to me. "But that's probably the only reason why I try to keep up. I've got nothing from my time, really, so I try to keep up with the new stuff. All the things my age are in history museums or government storage." She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I wish I could just come out and fix all these silly hypothesizes some of those historians and scientists come up with. I could help them a lot, too. Especially with the archeological digs in Egypt. I know where most of that 'lost' stuff is."

"Do you know where Atlantis is?" I piped, excited. I had heard a lot about that legend with my last "foster family". She smiled and winked at me.

"That I cannot say. That's why I have to stay away from the Volturi, and you do too. I know too much, and since you know me, in a sense, even though you hardly know anything other than trees, you know too much, too." I quirked an eyebrow at her, still confused. "I'm older than those miserable, old fools and they want to know what I know because knowledge is power. That's why _I'm _going to teach _you_ everything I know. But only if you promise never to go near the Volturi again." I froze, thinking of Alec and Jane. Could I really stay away from them forever?

She sighed, her beautiful eyes looking forlorn. We had the same shade of red, or so Garret had always told me. I turned around and looked in the mirror to compare the colors. Mine were a little darker, I was starting to get thirsty, but I'm sure that if we both fed at the same time they'd be identical.

"Think on it, little dear. I don't know what draws you to that horrid place, but do try to decide. I need to know if I can count on you or not." I bobbed my head, confirming that I would. She patted me on the cheek. "I didn't give you contacts for your photo so we have to take it again. Then I'll take mine." She jumped off the counter and headed out again. Probably to get those "contacts".


	9. Chapter VIII: Patience

**Chapter VIII: Patience**

**Alec's POV**

I leaned against a wall, regaining my sanity as the panic died down. Betrayed, shocked, confused, angry. Those were some ways to describe how I was feeling. How could she? Why would she? Words were one thing. We fought and argued all the time. We were siblings! That's what siblings do! But this? I slumped to the ground, landing in a puddle of water. I looked around, getting a feel for my surroundings.

In my rush to escape I had successfully driven myself to the farthest possible place for the castle without leaving Volterra. I was under the city streets, in the sewer systems, and the only light came from tiny slits from a drain gate above. There was no way an innocent walker could possible come by and find me and I told Jane not to follow. So who else was I at risk of being noticed by? Cassi might come but I wouldn't mind that. I actually craved her presence, the soft, sweet reminder that things had been worse and this would eventually just flutter by.

"Cassi," I whispered, my voice turning into a soft sigh as it echoed through out the stone. I felt surprisingly calm as I thought about her. She probably felt awful, wherever she was. She'd blame herself, that's what girls like her did. Still, she would've come to apologize by now, wouldn't of she? What was she up to in the castle? Perhaps she was talking to Jane. _Yes, let Cassi work through things with Jane first. I'm sure she'll get a lot further than I would. _I shook my head. I didn't even want to think of my sister. I wanted her to be wiped from my thoughts.

A noise made me jump to my feet. No matter where I was, even in my own home, I had to be fully aware of my surroundings. Who knew when an enemy might attempt to infiltrate us from within? I recognized the sound of feet splashing in the water. I could hear the steady rhythm of just on pair moving ever closer. I shifted around, hiding behind a corner so that I might see my unwelcome guest before they saw me. My sister's scent reached my before I actually saw her. I held back a hiss. I told her not to follow me.

She sighed, crossed her arms, and leaned against the wall I had sat next to only moments before. "I know, I know, you told me not to follow you but you're probably going to be glad I'm telling you this as soon as I got the information. But first, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. Alec, _we _shouldn't have done that. You're my brother and if this silly girl is what it takes to make you happy, then fine, be happy. I just don't want to lose you." I didn't respond. Revenge pumped in my mind, telling me to use my power on her. I shoved it down. If she was willing to sacrifice whatever she was sacrificing to have Cassi around in order to make me happy, then I wasn't going to turn away from her in a fit of childish anger. I always hated to admit it but Jane and I were examples of why immortal children were not to be created. Even as mature as we were, we still threw fits.

"My apologies, too, Sister. You're right, we shouldn't be doing this." I came out from around my corner, grabbed her by the wrist and embraced her. We pulled back simultaneously and gave each other a feather-light kiss on either cheek, almost as if we had rehearsed the movement. "Now, what did you need to tell me?" I asked, pulling back and leaning against the wall beside her. She sighed again, as if this was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Cassi, well, she said she was leaving."

"What!" I almost shouted, shocked. "Why? Why didn't you stop her!"

"How could I? She appeared, told me, and then disappeared before I could even say a word! I wish I could've, Alec, but I couldn't. It was impossible." I growled, closed my eyes, and pinched the bridge of my nose. I had to remember that it really wasn't any of Jane's fault. Cassi was stubborn and once she made a decision she kept through it. I had seen her around enough in my childhood to know that.

"Why did she say she was leaving?" I asked, calming myself and looking my sister directly in the eye. "Did she say where she was going?"

"No! She didn't tell me anything. She just left!" I glared at my sister, worming out the truth. "Alright, she said she just wanted to make sure that we were okay and that she hadn't meant to cause any of this. She said she wasn't coming back." I hissed between clenched teeth, my fingers digging into my palm.

"We have to find her."

"How are we going to do that? She can teleport anywhere she wants. Even if we did find her, she'd probably just disappear the second she sees us."

"Jane, I'm not going to let her go." She huffed irritably; obviously she still didn't want Cassi around much.

"Aro would probably let us look for her." I nodded and then tilted my head to the side. Jane was right, hunting down Cassi would be nigh impossible, even if Demetri helped. Aro would let us look, but for how long? And there was no guarantee that we'd find her even if we tried. I spent over a millennium without her presence; I'd be alright for a week. I hoped.

"We'll ask tomorrow," I muttered, my decision made. Jane peered at me, as if attempting to read what lay behind my eyes, but I hid it well. I'd just have to wait out the week.

"_Patience is a virtue," _I heard my mother say from memories so long ago.

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	10. Chapter IX: Lessons

**Chapter IX: Lessons**

**Cassi's POV**

Giant, metal bird. That was how I would describe an airplane. They were huge! And they were all different sizes, and colors (mostly mainly white), and they were all unique. Not a single one seemed to be exactly the same, even if they were meant to be that way. I stared at them through the windows until Aunya grabbed my hand and pulled me to a bathroom.

"We need to change your contacts. They'll start to dissolve soon." I nodded and let her do that. I hated the contacts. They were full of scratches and tiny faults that annoyed my eyes. They also turned the red of my eyes to a murky brown. "When's the last time you've fed?" Aunya asked, interrupting my whining thoughts.

"About a week ago. I little over. Why?"

"Your eyes are getting dark. We'll feed when we get to America."

"Oh, I don't need to. I can make it at least a week longer." She looked down at me disapprovingly.

"You're going to be surrounded by humans everywhere we go. Let's not risk it, alright, sweetheart?" I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. I didn't want to have my decisions made for me, but I didn't argue. At least she wasn't like Garret who had made me feed every week, simply so I'd get used to killing people. Of course, I was over that, wasn't I? Sure, I was picky about my victims, but that was only proper, wasn't it? I wondered if Aunya chose her victims carefully, or if she, like most vampires, just pounced upon whomever she came across first. I didn't bother to ask for fear that I wouldn't like the answer.

"Why are we going to be surrounded all the time?" I asked instead.

"I have some important business in some very important places. It won't be like this, with a thousand strangers, we'll know everybody there after a day or two."

"How long are we going to be there?"

"A couple of months, maybe. It depends, really."

"On what?" I heard her sigh softly.

"At least you know how to ask questions." She looked down at me. "How about I tell you all about it once we get on the plane. And then you can spend the rest of the time thinking about whether or not you want to learn everything else." I nodded and she took me into a line full of mostly irritable humans. They didn't seem to be pleased with how long it was taking. Of course, I couldn't see why. It was merely a minor inconvenience, at least, to me it was. I had spent more time trying to read a map. Which I failed at, of course.

We finally got to a couple of men in uniforms and some weird doorway without a door. "Are you wearing any jewelry, Cassi?" Aunya asked. I nodded. "Take it off and put it in that plastic bin, along with your shows. I did and she did too. Then we walked through the doorway and got our stuff back. After they put it through some weird machine on a moving counter. Aunya watched me put my shoes on and then asked, "Who taught you to tie your shoes?"

"The people who showed me shoes, of course. They bought me my first pair but I wore those out and got new ones. Why?"

"You tie them weird, but whatever works, I guess." And then we walked down a hallway to a weird enclosure that went downhill, and into the body of the beast. Chairs filled the inside of the airplane; they were small but seemed as good as any other chair. Aunya led me to our seats and we sat down, she even gave me the one closest the window.

"Why didn't we get your black suitcase back too?" I wondered, remembering how she had dropped it off somewhere else.

"Oh, we'll get that back when we get to America. The airline is keeping it safe for us." I bobbed my head up and down, although I still didn't understand why or what the "airline" had to do with anything. I just kept my mouth shut and peered out the window. We weren't up in the air yet, just sitting on the ground as other people filed in. I couldn't wait till we were flying!

A voice came out in the air a while later, saying we were about to take off. I buckled my seatbelt, just like everybody else, and then sat in silent excitement. Flying was amazing! I could barely tear my eyes away from the window, looking at the sky and freedom, long enough to find out why we were even going to America.

"I'm an actress," Aunya started. "I play in movies and television shows and plays to earn money and help blend in as a human. I haven't been doing it long, and I'm constantly doing it in different countries, trying to hide the fact that I'm not aging. No one has noticed so far." She then explained how she was going to go film a movie, and then explained to me what a movie was, aghast that I had never seen one. She had so much to tell me about just one subject, I couldn't imagine all the other things she wanted me to know. All the other things I craved to know. Could she teach me how to read and write? Could I finally read a map and talk different languages? Could she help me to understand big words and figure out what "You need to enhance your vocabulary" means? Would she? Even if I didn't want to know everything else?

I kept asking her questions, like what the faceless voice was, and why we had to take off our shoes and jewelry. She told me about 9/11 and how, in order to enter the United States (a country in the New World) by airplane, you had to do things like that. I couldn't believe that so many people had died. I asked why it happened and then she told me about wars and then I asked more about wars. It went on and on, so much information I had never known and it was all slipping in as easily as blood poured down my throat. I wanted to know so much, and yet the ride in the air didn't last nearly long enough.

"Welcome to Los Angeles, Cassi," Aunya said as we stepped out of the airport with her suitcase. I looked at around at all the cars and people everywhere. It looked a lot like the airport we had left hours ago. I didn't bother to mention that as she started trying to get a "taxi", whatever that was. Finally, a yellow car pulled up in front of us. Aunya put her bag in the rectangle on the back of the car, and we got into the back seat. Aunya told the man driving where to go.

I had only been in a car once before, and that one had more seats then this once. It had seat in between the ones me and Aunya were sitting in and where the driver was sitting. The family had called it a minivan. Although, I didn't see it as being very "mini" at all. I stayed silent through out the trip, which was super long, and got out when Aunya directed me to. She gave the man green paper, money, I think and then he left. She took my hand and pulled me into an ugly, reddish-brown, brick building. She went up to a woman standing behind a desk.

"I need the key for room 203, please," Aunya said. The woman nodded and dug through a drawer to pull out a small, silver key. She handed it to Aunya. "Come on, Cassi," she said, drawing my attention from the window I had been looking through. Los Angeles was ugly compared to where Aunya lived. It hardly had any trees that I had seen and there were lots of ugly buildings just like ours. Gray roads were everywhere with tons of those small, yellow cars running around. There were other buildings, too; tall ones with lots and lots of windows. They looked like a single gust of wind could send them crashing to the ground.

"I don't like it here," I told Aunya as she unlocked the door to out room. She turned to me and gave me a half smile.

"I didn't think you would much. Nothing really to do for someone who's used to being in forests all the time. But you'll enjoy being on set, I'm sure. And they do have a couple of parks you can walk in. Not too far from here is a great place to hike but we'll be in the city most of the time. It's a very busy and safe place." I nodded although I couldn't really see myself enjoying anything but being able to learn from Aunya. I knew she had tons to tell me and I was actually excited to learn. I didn't want to be stupid anymore.

We strolled into a small living room compared to the one at Aunya's house. It was about average compared to some other homes I had been in. It had wooden flooring, a couch, two chairs, a short table, and a T.V. stand with a T.V. on it. I helped Aunya pull her bag into a bedroom down the hall. She put it on the bed and started unpacking clothes and jewelry. She shoved them into the dresser next to the bed.

"You have a lot of clothes. And shoes," I added as she got the bottom of the suitcase. She laughed softly.

"No, Cassi. You just never had enough. Humans change clothes everyday, Cassi. And lots of people have several different pairs of shoes too. Women are known for having jewelry to go with every outfit, but I think you're set with that little cross of yours." I stared up at her in disbelief.

"Really? But I never had lots of clothes when I was human!" Aunya glanced at me.

"You remember that?"

"Well, I wore the same dress for a century afterwards too, so, yeah, I remember that."

"Weren't you an orphan or something like that? That's why you didn't have lots of clothes. I'm sure other children in your village changed clothes everyday. Though, in that time, I don't think anybody but kings and nobles had lots of clothing to wear." I shrugged my shoulders. I had stayed in the woods after I was changed and I never left my village when I was human, not that I would remember much even if I had.

"Why don't we remember our human lives as well as we remember our vampire lives?" I asked as we walked to the bathroom to put her make-up kit away, she had told me what everything was back at her house.

"Because we had lower senses and a less complex brain as humans. Our synapses weren't nearly as well maintained and so the majority of our human memories were lost while we were humans." I stared at her as if she was speaking Greek, which was highly possible.

"What are synapses?" Aunya sighed and strolled to the living room. She sat down on the catch and beckoned me to join her.

"Synapses are little links and your brain that let you reach your memories, or let you remember things, for lack of a better explanation. Technically, you have all your memories from the moment you were conceived, you just don't have any synapses to get to them."

"I'm hopeless, aren't I?" I muttered, putting my head in my hands.

"No. Why would you say that?"

"What does 'conceived' mean?"

"The moment you were conceived is the moment in which your mother became pregnant."

"Pregnant?"

"When a woman has a little baby in her womb, our stomach, to keep things simple."

"Do you mean that babies come from inside of women?"

"Yes, Cassi. That's exactly where babies come from. Have you ever heard of sex?" I shook my head. She just laughed. "Alright. Well, I'll explain that some other time. Have you ever seen woman that are really fat, and then one day they're caring around a baby?"

"Yeah."

"When they woman is fat, she's pregnant. Then, after she gives birth to the baby, or gets it out of her, she's not anymore. Now, that doesn't mean all fat people are pregnant. With enough experience you'll see the difference easily."

"Can boys be pregnant?"

"No. I'll explain why later. And vampires can't get pregnant either because we can change our bodies to let the baby grow." I nodded, starting to understand this concept of pregnancy better. I wondered if that was a word. "Yes. Good thinking, Cassi," Aunya answered when I asked. "Here, I have an idea. Just wait one moment." She left the living room and came back with a piece of paper and a pen. She wrote a neat, little list all the way down one side of the paper and handed it to me.

"Circle the three subjects you want to know the most about, and I'll start there. Then I can teach you other things, maybe even put you into school one day." I looked down at the list, for some reason expecting all the jumbles of lines and curves to suddenly make sense. I waited, staring at everything, only to find that it still was just gibberish.

"Aunya, I think we should start with teaching me how to read." She peered at me in utter disbelief.

"You don't know how to read?" I shook my head, becoming upset with my own stupidity. She gave me a half smile. "That's okay. It's not your fault." She scooped up the list and left again. This time she came back with a huge book of blank paper and sat down next to me. "I think you're right, Cassi. We should start with reading." She scribbled down a single shape. "Now, this letter is 'a'. It makes the 'ah' sound…"

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><p><strong>I appreciate reviews. Thank you!<strong>


	11. Chapter X: Sensitivity

**Here's chapter 10. I don't know when the next chapter will be up but please comment and review. I love knowing what you guys think. Thanks!**

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><p><strong>Chapter X: Sensitivity<strong>

**Aunya's POV**

Curiosity. Cassi was feeling extremely curious about the movie set. Her head swiveled back and forth from the lights to the cameras to cords and cables. She couldn't seem to take in everything fast enough to satisfy her curiosity. Besides her stood Jake, my agent. He was feeling annoyed. He hated having to work with children, although I had reassured him again and again that he wouldn't need to bother with Cassi. She was my responsibility and would stay out of the way. And it wasn't as if he was going to see her again unless an issue came up, which rarely happened.

Jake had only been my agent for a year and I didn't plan to get a new one until three years from now, but if he continued with his silliness, I would be forced to get a new one. I planned on keeping Cassi around for along time. I didn't want to lose her again; especially since I had promised Garret I would take care of her once he was gone. He was surprised he had lasted as long as he did and had welcomed death. Of course, I would never admit that to Cassi unless she agreed to take the rest of my knowledge as well. It was nearing the end of my time and I too did not wish to leave without someone to carry on my work.

Suddenly, Cassi's emotions switched to frustrated. She was working on reading, she was doing very well, but there were still words and sounds she didn't know yet. It wasn't that she couldn't handle all of the knowledge, simply that I hadn't gotten around to that yet. We only worked on for an hour so far since we needed to feed. One night was not enough to teach her all the complicated rules of English literature. Cassi was peering at a sign, one that had odd rules. It read "DIRECTORY EQUIPMENT". I didn't bother to whisper that to her. She probably didn't even know what it meant.

"Now here, Sylvia, is your co-star, Ethan," Jake announced coming up to another vampire. His name was actually Heath but I knew better than correct my human helper. Ahead of time, Heath and I had made arrangements to do this movie together because of certain physical scenes that vampires couldn't do with humans and not be pointed out. He, like I, also switched his name publicly every couple of decades so no one would realize he wasn't aging. Cassi became momentarily confused as Jake became pleased as Heath and I greeted each other in recognition. The moment ended quickly as Cassi decided to trust me and Jake became impatient to move on.

I was one of the many vampires, for it is actually a majority than a minority, which had a special gift. I could sense the feelings of others around me, although I have no effect on them what so ever. I can also sense what is causing them to feel one way or anther, whether I have background knowledge of that person or not. I usually ignored most people's feelings but I paid careful attention to Cassi's. She was still a child and therefore at a high liability for mood-swings, which could be disastrous. I wasn't too worried though. She seemed fairly stable for as long as I had known her.

As Jake dragged us from one person to another, and as the set became more crowded, I could feel Cassi's growing discomfort. She wasn't fond of crowds, I had never known her to be, and the mush of humans was making her skin crawl. Her instinctive reactions would kick in soon enough, I supposed so I politely noted to Jake that I already knew the majority of people on set and that I simply wanted to talk to the director. He took me to Peter Henser and I bid him farewell.

"Good morning," Peter greeted us. "You must be Sylvia and is this your niece you were telling me about on the phone?"

"Yes. Cassi, say hello to Mr. Henser."

"Hello," she mumbled, not looking directly at him. Fear radiated from her because Peter reminded her of someone else whom she had had an unfortunate encounter with. Sadly, my power didn't give me the specifics of the cause for emotions, just generalizations. It was rather disappointing for I could use such specifics in figuring out what connection Cassi held to the Volturi. The sooner such a connection was destroyed and resolved, the sooner she could adopt my wisdom. The sooner she adopted my wisdom, the sooner I could stop using fake identity after fake identity and could live as a normal human.

I was one of the original vampires from which every vampire sprang. Personally, I had never changed a human into an "immortal" but I knew many that had. I was the oldest living thing on Earth, now that Garret was gone, and it was of dire importance that all the knowledge I held was not lost. Many would think me a fool for trusting a child to keep such an important collection of memories but both Garret and I had agreed that if anyone, Cassi was the best selection for such a position. Her determination and loyalty to whatever cause she chose was unlike anyone else's.

Sadly, I had ever little time to teach Cassi what she needed to learn before I began to forget. Vampires are not immortals, nothing is, for they die as everything else does. We simply live extremely lengthy lives that other living creatures cannot compare asides from trees. After so long, varying amounts for different vampires, we weaken back to an almost human state where we grow old and eventually die. Vampires never contract disease or infection, we can still only be destroyed by the strongest of weapons or other supernatural beings, and we still drink blood, but we do lose or memories and age as normal humans do. Vampirization is not a gift, it, in itself, is a disease.

But that is a story for another day, when I reveal to Cassi all of my secrets. I knew, eventually, she would sit by my feet and absorb everything she needed to know, but there were milestones she had to reach first. I wouldn't even think of abandoning or rushing the poor girl whose life was solitary and whose soul cried out for redemption and answers. She was tortured in her own ways, as everyone is, but hers is silent and she sometimes does not even comprehend what her true ailments are.

"Sylvia, I am so glad you could assist us on this project. I don't believe anyone is more perfect to play the role of Cadence. Have you seen your aunt act before, Cassi?" He was being friendly, attempting to not only include Cassi but also set her at ease. Her wariness was obvious enough that even the shallow human, Peter, could sense it. Of course, Peter was shallow for a human. He would be considered average but his emotions were still neither nearly as complex as a vampire's, nor were they extremely deep for a human's. I rarely enjoyed human company because they always seemed to be acting a role in my mind since their emotions always seemed simple and false. That's why I started acting. It gave my appreciation for humans that could change their emotions at will and helped me to realize who was acting all the time and who was not.

"No, Sir," she admitted honestly.

"Well, she's a fine one." Peter looked up and waved over one of the assistants. "Cassi, I'm going to let Sam here take you somewhere where you can read in piece, okay, Sweetheart? Your aunt and I have some business to attend to." Sam was feeling pleased to be helping Peter. She was also extremely, sexually attracted towards the man. Peter was alright for a human. He had dark brown hair, was slightly shorter than me, which was normal since I was so tall, and was muscular. He, on the other hand, paid no notice to Sam as she took Cassi's hand and led her away once I gave Cassi a smile of reassurance. Peter's attraction centered on me, as per usual.

I studied Sam as she walked away. She had long, wavy, black hair that went to her waist and was shorter than both Peter than I, even in high-heels. She had long, thin legs and a curvy body in the shape of an hourglass. She had small nose and average lips. Her brown eyes and other average features didn't help her to stand out, but her tan skin did. She was pretty for a human, but I could feel as her attraction slipped to another actor. I would have to monitor the time she spent with Cassi. I didn't want her to spread any of her personality to my companion.

Peter took me to the front of the set and I caught the eye of one of my few good, human friends. "Zaya!" I called, going towards her.

"Sylvia!" she exclaimed in return and hugged me. Zaya was a beautiful human. She had gorgeous, chocolate brown eyes, and silky black hair, a rarity for her bloodline. She had skin as dark as her eyes and full, magenta lips. She was almost as tall as me in heels, and she had one of the deepest personalities I had ever come across in a human. I loved her because she was a fantastic person with all the right priorities and sympathized with all the right causes. She was just so brilliant.

"How have you been?" I asked, pulling back.

"Wonderful. And yourself?"

"Fabulous. I have my niece, Cassi, now since my brother passed."

"Oh, yes. I heard about that. I'm so sorry for your loss." Honest sympathy and a sense of her own regret at the loss of a good life swept through her.

"Thank you, but I like to think of it as a greater gain to have the opportunity to make Cassi's life better. Thank goodness she didn't end up with her mother. It was a horrible legal dispute to get custody over her."

"I'm sure." Again, she sincerely felt sympathy for the fact that I had to struggle for my niece and even that a mother lost her child. She was also delighted that I had been given what I had wanted and that Cassi was going to have a better life because of it. "Where is she?" Zaya asked, longing to meet her.

"She's in my dressing room at the moment, continuing her reading lessons." Confusion spread through Zaya and across her face.

"How old is she again?"

"Ten, but her mother and father fought and moved so often that she never got a good education. She is brilliant, though. I bet she'll catch up to me by the end of the week, and I'm not exaggerating. According to her she read her first word last night and she's able to read Dr. Seuss without help now."

"That is amazing. I want to meet her even more. During lunch you should introduce us."

"Of course," I agreed. _Cassi should like Zaya_, I told myself. _Everyone loves Zaya besides those who are too jealous of her to see the true beauty that lies within._ We called then, as if on cue, to go to our dressing rooms to get ready. I was delighted to see Cassi reading "Green Eggs and Ham" to herself almost fluently and left to work. Acting was easy to me but I was patient so that the other actors could do their job efficiently. The hours flew by and before long it was time for lunch.

Cassi was still shy talking to Zaya but they fascinated each other and both were reluctant to depart and go back to their separate positions. But duty called and Cassi went back to my dressing room and Zaya and I went back on set.

In the movie we were filming, I was shy girl that had a bit of a wild side during the night and who fell in love with some big time movie star. Zaya played as my competition and all through out the movie we were purposely trying to sabotage the other. It was supposed to be a romantic comedy and everyone on set thought the entire thing was going well, even though Zaya and I busted out laughing numerous times during shots.

Weeks went by smoothly and soon there was only three weeks of filming left. Cassi, by that time, had caught up to kids her age in not only reading, but math, science, and history. She spent a lot of time working on her handwriting, which was uncharacteristically messy for a vampire. It improved greatly though, and Zaya was astonished everyday with the progress Cassi was making. We took Zaya to lunch frequently although we never ate ourselves. Zaya didn't ask question. She knew I was on a special diet and probably assumed that Cassi was too.

As Cassi and I were walking the streets of Hollywood one afternoon that we were free, an unusual feeling struck her; longing. It was so painful to watch as she miserably wished for the company of a boy, although I didn't know whom. It was a romantic feeling, not one that one would associate with a family member or mentor. I knew there was a boy around her age physically in the Volturi. Was that why she was drawn to them so?

"Cassi, everything's going to be alright," I assured her, placing my hand on her shoulder. "You know you can trust me with anything, don't you?"

"I know. I'm fine, Aunya, really. I just wish I had a friend my own age sometimes. You know?" Cassi didn't know about my gift, and I was very careful to make her believe that I didn't know about hers. I had yet to discover whether or not she even knew of her own power, but I imagined that she did. She had gone to the Volturi after all. There was no way they would have let her stay alive if she didn't have some use. Immortal children are illegal to their laws, with very few exceptions. Three that I knew of.

"I'm just making sure." I didn't push the issue further. She needed to come to trust me at her own pace so that I could trust her at the same depth. Of course, I trusted Cassi with my life and I knew that she felt equally towards me. We just couldn't share our memories and feelings to one another. Of course, it wasn't as if I really needed to ask her about her feelings, just the specifics of what were causing them.

Night approached and I could feel Cassi's unwillingness to go back to our apartment just yet. She like being out in the dark where nobody could see her lurking in the shadows. It was an experience she was accustomed to and knew very well. I let her continue wandering around as I strolled beside her. Her blonde hair was done up into two pigtails and she was wearing a light blue shirt with a pair of skinny jeans. When I asked her about her own clothing, I hadn't been surprised that she had her own store of money hidden somewhere but not in a bank or in America. I had decided to buy her, her own clothes and she was satisfied by the outfits I had given her.

For some odd reason, Cassi chose to lead us into a dark alleyway between two old, brick buildings on the outskirts of the city. The alley was submerged in darkness, hardly a problem for our enhanced eyesight, but an immediate threat to any human. Anyone who saw us entering it would have thought us stupid or up to no good. Then, the scent of foreign vampires reached me. I hissed and pulled Cassi behind me as three jumped to the ground from the tops of the buildings. They stood before us, waiting for us to take a move. I identified them immediately. Alec, Jane, and Demetri of the Volturi stood in front of us, blocking our escape unless we decided to scramble up the brick buildings.

Surprise sang out from Cassi's inner turmoil first, and then added delight, confusion, fear, and the same longing she had been soaking in all night long. "Alec," she whispered, stepping out from behind me.

"Cassi," he greeted her with a smile on his face. "We've been looking for you." I hissed at them. Jane had a sense of bored pleasure that she had got the prize she sought, even though it was of little interest to her. Demetri felt similarly, but Alec was consumed by all out delightedness. He had longed for her just as she longed for him, but I didn't trust his feelings. Emotions, like anything else, could be faked. I knew that by acting with so many others. I pushed Cassi back behind me and stood up as straight as they were, towering over the lot of them.

"State you business," I ordered, taking charge. They might have been members of the Volturi but I was older than them and stronger too. I knew of their powers, Jane's especially would be difficult to fight through, but I could handle them I was sure. Besides, with Cassi's help I probably wouldn't even have to lift a finger at all.

"We came to collect my mate," he said, becoming the spokesperson for the group. He was obviously in charge of the mission. Honesty came from him but that was a big word to use and Cassi filled with hope from it. He was obviously the boy she longed for. A terrible decision in my opinion. Alec could be easily fooling her simply to take her to Aro so he could use her. Even if Alec spoke the truth about being Cassi's mate, Aro would have never allowed him to seek her out. Aro had killed his own sister to keep the Volturi stable and wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice another unimportant vampire to his cause. He may have only allowed it so he could kill her and Alec would no longer be distracted by the possibility of being close to someone other than his sister.

_Or Aro wants Alec to act as Cassi's mate so that Cassi will be loyal to a coven she, otherwise, has no interest in. Then again, if Alec is telling the truth, Aro could be allowing Alec to seek her out because he knows that Alec will always be tied to his sister and, therefore, Cassi's presence is not a threat to his mission. She would be an asset to the cause. _But that seemed too simply and too perfect to be true. Besides, Alec held himself in a way which made it obvious that he thought of himself higher than others. Why would he stoop down to the level of someone like Cassi who knew little and was a lowly orphan after all? He, technically, was one too but that was for different reasons and under different circumstances.

Sadly, Cassi trusted him without hesitation and went to go to him. "Cassi," I reminded her. "Lies are easily spoken by those trained to speak them. Truths are easily hidden from those who do not seek them. I cannot communicate with you as long as you are loyal to them. Choose wisely now in whom you'd sacrifice a great deal for." I was giving her an option but I felt her wish that I were more like Garret, that I simply told her what was a wise and what was a dumb decision. Confusion swelled inside of her as she stood in between me and them.

Anger seethed through Jane at daring to question her brother's honesty and possibly harm him. She believed what he said was true, although I could also sense a slight want that Cassi decline the offer to return with them so that she never had to deal with Cassi again. Demetri was frustrated by her inability to decide quickly and begin to clean his nails and inspect them for perfection. Alec was hurt that she was torn by the decision.

"Cassi, have I ever lied to you? Why would I start now?" he told her, attempting to convince her to his side. She stood looking back and forth between us, her eyes as wide as a deer's right before it's hit by the oncoming vehicle. She choked, lost, and disappeared instantly. Broken was the only way to describe Alec after she left. He was telling the truth then, he did love her, but I still couldn't believe they were mates. Perhaps Charmion was just using her gift to make everyone believe that.

Rage bubbled from Jane and more frustration slid out of Demetri. They turned their sights to me as Alec turned away. He didn't care anymore about his fate or anyone else's. He was crushed by her rejection and Jane was furious, blaming his suffering solely on me. I jumped up where they had come from and fled across the city. I knew how to escape the best trackers and I dared them to try and keep up with me.


	12. Chapter XI: One Day

**Did somebody ask for a new chapter? Here it is!**

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><p><strong>Chapter XI: One Day<strong>

**Alec's POV**

_No! _I wanted to shout as she vanished. Cassi, the girl we spent weeks searching for because of me, was gone. She obviously didn't love me as I thought she had and that tore me to pieces. I turned away as Demetri and Jane chased after Cassi's companion. They disappeared over the rooftops and left me standing in the alleyway by myself. Suddenly, a hand rested on my shoulder. I spun around to see Cassi, her blonde pigtails speaking innocence. I waited for an explanation, there had to be a reason she had come back. She took her hand back, gnawing on her lower lip and twisting her fingers together.

"Alec, I'm sorry. I know what I just did hurt you but I need you to understand. You have to trust me first though. I can't tell you here when they could be back at a moment's notice." Cassi offered me her hand, begging me to give her one last chance. I took it and she teleported us to a cold, wooded region. I recognized it immediately. We were north of the area the Cullens and their friends had faced us off years ago. She probably didn't understand the significance of our surroundings. She kept a firm hold on my hand and drug me further into the woods and then up a tree. She sat on one branch and I sat on a branch near hers.

"What do you want, Cassi?" I demanded, becoming impatient. She sighed and peered at me with her big, round eyes.

"I'm sorry, Alec, but I have to make a decision. You know that, but I doubt you're going to like what I have to say. I – I've decided to go with her." I didn't react, already having figured that out on my own. "But it's not for the reasons you think. I love you, Alec. I do, with all of my heart." She placed her hands on either side of my face but I pulled away. She was leaving me for some vampire she had stumbled across and she had the nerve to tell me she loved me? She was lucky… _No, no. You wouldn't hurt her. You know that._

"Aunya and I have known each other for almost as long as I've been immortal. She's Garret's sister." Garret. I remembered Garret. We had destroyed him under the belief that he was harboring an immortal child. He hadn't put up a fight and, apparently, we were right but it wasn't the kind of immortal child we had assumed he had. "Aunya needs me, Alec."

"I need you, Cassi." She turned her face away and stared down at the forest floor.

"But you can live without me."

"She can live without you, not me! I'm your mate, Cassi. Mates need each other. Once they've been put together, tearing them apart causes disaster for both of them."

"You think I don't know that? Of course, I know that! I've spent more than a millennium looking for you, Alec!" She turned the full force of her glare upon me. "You never once looked for me! Maybe you thought I was dead, I can understand that, but when me and Garret disappeared, Aunya looked for me. She looked and she found me, and she's helping me. She's teaching me."

"I can teach you, Cassi. Learning and teaching are not that difficult." She shook her head in frustration.

"No, Alec. Aunya is teaching me things no one else can."

"Like what?"

"I can't tell you, but she is and I want to learn. I want to and this isn't something you can change my mind about. But I can't just leave you…" Her eyes grew forlorn. Obviously, this decision was going beyond her capabilities. "I want you, Alec, more than anything else in this world, but responsibility has its toll. I have a responsibility to Aunya to do this for her." I stared at my mate.

"Who would've thought you, of all people, would be giving me a lecture on maturity?" Cassi quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "I understand what you mean, Cassi, but I don't want to lose you again."

"I don't want to lose you either," she admitted sadly. I nodded and contemplated over what we could do. I guessed that the reason why Cassi couldn't involve me in her teachings was because I was a part of the Volturi. _If I left… _I shook my head. I couldn't do that, not to Aro, and not to Jane. I sighed and took her hand in mine.

"Then give me one more day. One day to show you what we're meant to be, and then I'll leave you to your teachings." Her eyes brightened up, the crimson red flaring out. I pulled her out of the tree and started walking, her at my side.

"Where are we going?" she asked, curious.

"Everywhere."

I held Cassi's hand as we strolled through the amusement park. She had shyly admitted to me hours earlier that she had never been to one before. Perhaps it was childish, but looking at her, I knew that we were both still children. Getting here had taken some effort. First, I had had to find a map, one that made sense to Cassi, and show her where it was. Second, I had to help her build an image of where she wanted to go. Her power worked oddly, taking her to either people or images she wished to see. We landed in several of the wrong places before we made it to the right one. Third, we had to find an adult willing to pose as our escort. Children were not allowed in the park by themselves.

Kings Island was full of bright lights and roller coasters. It was also packed with visitors. Of course, not nearly as many as the other time I had been. Once, while investigating a lead of vampire exposure, my group was brought here. As it turned out, the vampire in question was actually dressed up as the human idea of a vampire and being paid by the park to scare civilians. He wasn't doing anything against the laws of vampiric civilization and so we didn't follow out the appropriate consequences. They didn't need to be followed through.

"You're lucky," I muttered, "I think you're just tall enough to get on any ride." She laughed.

"I'm not sure I want to get on any ride. What's the point in these things anyway? They look like death traps. Why would humans pay to die?" I shook my head.

"They don't die. It's very rare that anyone is harmed on a roller coaster. They're meant to scare the humans. It's amusing, in a sense."

"They're not dangerous?"

"Only if one malfunctions."

"Malfunctions?" I frowned slightly, forgetting about her small vocabulary.

"If one doesn't work the right way. Say, if one of the cars breaks off from the rest of the chain and falls off the track. Then the humans aboard will probably be harmed. Or if someone falls out or something along those lines."

"So they are dangerous?"

"They can be, but, as I said before, things like that rarely happen. Besides, if something like that did happen, the ride is torn down so it doesn't happen again." She shrugged her shoulders.

"It still seems stupid to me." I shook my head and pulled her towards the children's area. Since she hadn't been on one before, I doubted she'd want to start on a large one first. We had fast passes so we got on to the next round. Younger children, around 5 and 6 were in front and behind us with their parents. I smiled thinking that perhaps she was sharing her first time with another child. We rode over the hills and the other riders laughed and yelled. Cassi started to too and then she stared up at me. I beamed back at her.

"Do you understand now?" I asked after we got off. She nodded.

"Are all of them like that, fun and easy? That doesn't seem so dangerous but the other ones looked worst."

"That's because they are," I assured her. "Supposedly, the Diamondback is the scariest one in the park. Personally, I find the Backlot Stunt Coaster scarier." She quirked an eyebrow at me. "For those of us who are practically invincible and know that, rides that don't incorporate other psychological fears are not scary."

"What, does it shoot fire or something?"

"That's exactly what it does."

"Oh." She frowned, taking that in. "But they don't shoot it at you, do they?"

"No. They shoot it up but you can feel the heat…" I looked down at my arms, reliving two entirely different memories at once. I shook them off and pulled her so the next coaster. Before we got on, she asked me a question I was expecting.

"I have a feeling that these little character's have a background so who is Snoopy?"

"Snoopy is a dog from a cartoon called the "Peanuts". All the characters in this section are from there." She nodded.

"What's a cartoon?"

"Have you ever watched television before?"

"No, but I've seen a television before. And I know what a movie is."

"Well good. A cartoon is like a movie but shorter and the people are drawn instead of filming real people."

"Oh. That's simple." I nodded. I pulled Cassi through the fast lane and on to the next ride. Surf Dog was one of my favorite rides. It wasn't extremely fast, it was hardly dangerous, and the kids on it were always full of laughter. I made sure we got onto the back row. Surf Dog was a lot like a pendulum type ride but it went in a wave motion so it had an extra hill in the middle. The coaster also spun around in a circle as it goes over the hill, like a surfboard. Cassi enjoyed that one too.

"Roller coasters are fun," she stated as we got off.

"Exactly. They're supposed to be." I took Cassi to the next ride. This one had the seat in which your feet dangle in the air. She was quiet riding that one, staring straight down. Some humans screamed but not many. I took her further into the park, not bothering to take her towards the water rides. All of those were closed. I then pulled her to the Diamondback. Even with fast passes, we had to wait for a little while. The Diamondback went up to 80 miles per hour and had drops higher than 215 feet. That was the first one she actually screamed on.

"They are insane…"

"Who?" I asked.

"Humans! I felt like _I_ was going to fall out of my seat and I was holding on to the bars. Humans must be nearly incapable of staying seated."

"Everyone is safe and secure, trust me." She rolled her eyes.

I took her to the Vortex next. She stared up at the loops as I drug her into the line. The park wasn't that busy, it was a week night, so we only had to wait two rounds. We sat down in the front and we buckled ourselves in. "What have you gotten me into?" she asked, shaking her head as the ride began.

"You'll love it," I promised and she did. After the first loop, she started laughing and stuck her arms into the air.

"I understand what you mean," she started as we got off. "They aren't scary for those who know that they're not going to get hurt, they're just thrilling. It's… amusing!" I laughed again and we strolled down the pavement, passing by the games. She peered at the prizes, staring at the stuffed animals, some of which were probably bigger than her. "I didn't know they made stuffed animals so large."

"They usually only do for things like this."

"Why?"

"So that people have extra motivation to pay to play the games. If they can't get the prizes anywhere else, they're going to want one to show off."

"The games look easy, though. Aren't the prizes expensive for the park to buy? If the games are easy and almost everyone earns a prize, how is the park earning a profit?"

"The games look easy to us. They're very difficult for humans. Not many people win." Cassi nodded. "Where did you learn about profits?"

"Aunya's taught me a lot already. I can even read now!"

"Oh, you can?"

"Mm hmm."

"Show me. What does that say?" I said, pointing towards a food stand.

"Skyline chili," she answered confidently.

"Indeed she did," I agreed.

"I don't like the English language, though. It's so confusing with its rules. It might be easier to memorize a dictionary than learn all the rules."

"That we agree on." We strolled around silently for a few minutes. "So, when I say I L-O-V-E Y-O-U, you know what I'm trying to say?"

"I L-O-V-E Y-O-U T-O-O, A-L-E-C." I smiled and dragged her into the next line. This one was for a wooden roller coaster and she liked that too. We went on ride after ride, and soon enough, we had gone on all of them besides the one that spat fire. She dragged me into that line, assuring me that everything would be all right. "Besides, facing your fears is a good thing." I sighed and let her pull me to the front of the line. We only had to wait for a little bit and then we were buckling ourselves in. She smiled confidently and grabbed my hand. "Everything's going to be just fine, Alec. Trust me." I did trust her; it was the flames I had a problem with.

The first part of the ride was exhilaratingly fast, and then it paused so we could watch the fire jump up. We were in the back, the furthest possible from the heat and flames, and I still had to close my eyes and imagine myself somewhere else. That was until she kissed me. I kissed her back and then the ride started again. "See? Nothing to worry about," she laughed, and then we were plunged into what was probably total darkness for the humans until we came rushing out of the tunnel only to stop so we could get off.

"It is a ridiculous fear, isn't it?" I figured as we sat on a bench beside a fenced off area of grass.

"No," she disagreed. "Not after what you've been through."

"But you're not bothered by it."

"Well, that's probably because I've never had a bad experience with fire."

"But you were there." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah, like that means anything. I was struggling to push through a giant crowd of people. I couldn't even see the flames."

"You couldn't?"

"No. They didn't get high enough. I mean, I saw you guys occasionally, I think. But they were just small glimpses. To be honest, I don't really remember it all that well."

"I remember everything."

"I bet." We lapsed into silence and I weaved my fingers through hers.

"I don't want to lose you, Cassi," I told her. "Please, don't let it be for long."

"I'll try not to but I don't know exactly what's in store for me. Just as you don't know what's in store for you. I doubt Jane's going to be very happy about this little expedition of ours." I laughed.

"Oh no, she's going to despise everything we do tonight simply because I'm doing it with you."

"Why does she hate me?" Cassi asked, her eyes going big and round.

"Don't you remember? She hates you because she's afraid of losing me. It's a vicious cycle, isn't it? Because me and her get into fights all the time because I don't want to lose you, and now I am anyway."

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"I know, I know. Duty calls, right?"

"Right," she laughed. Cassi took me to one of the restroom buildings and then snuck us behind it. "Ready?" she asked.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see," she teased and then we were gone.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed. Don't forget to review! :D<strong>


	13. Chapter XII: Memories

**Wow. Two chapter is one day? I find that pretty awesome! Enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Chapter XII: Memories<strong>

**Cassi's POV**

I don't know what I was thinking, taking Alec to where our village used to be. I only knew the location because it was one of the only places I ever called home. I liked having somewhere I could go to if there was nowhere else to go.

As he stood back up, my teleporting still didn't quite work for him, he peered around the area. "Where are we, Cassi?" he asked, scanning through the scattered trees and occasionally clearings.

"You don't know?" I asked, honestly surprised. He shook his head, only seeing what was there. As for me, I could see where the piles of ashes had been. I could still see the ruins of homes popping up in the trees. Then, I could build those things up to what they had been before. I could almost see all the people I used to follow around. Almost, but not quite. They were blurry images, vague memories.

"Well, I suppose that's okay. It was a stupid idea anyway," I muttered, going to take his hand to take us somewhere else. He pulled back and studied the surroundings harder.

"This place has a significant meaning to you, doesn't it?" I nodded. It should have one to him too. It was ironic though. The place where he stood now was the same place the stake had stood over a millennium ago. He shook his head in defeat and gazed at me. "Where are we, Cassi?"

"We're back where everything began," I answered. "The forest grew over the ashes once we left them. I worked pretty hard to cover up its existence. I buried anything that wouldn't burn." His eyes widened in shock, jaw nearly dropping.

"Why did you even comeback?" he wondered, not understanding my logic.

"Home. It's nice to have a home. Even if it's just a portion of the woods." He gave me a sympathetic smile and then peered around again. It was as if he was trying to rebuild the village the way I had.

"So, where was everything? Do you know?"

"Well, if you move slightly to the right and have Jane behind you with a slight gap in between, we'd practically be recreating that night." He jumped away, closer to my side, as if something had just bit him. I understood his fear, though. I usually avoided the area as best I could. I pointed to where his house was and the church. Then I showed him everything else he couldn't quite place.

"Where did you sleep? I've always wondered that."

"Oh, me? I'm lucky. My home didn't burn down like the rest of them." I pulled Alec away from the imaginary village we had built up with memories and pulled him deeper into the woods. I took him to an old pine tree and patted its needles. "This, Alec, was where I slept. Right there underneath of the needles. It was kind of buggy, and sometimes I'd have to run away when a predator came around, but it was a decent home as far as I remember. Kept me dry."

"This is where the edge of the forest used to be, isn't it?" I nodded again, glad that he remembered that. "I want to try something, Cassi. Will you help me?" I glanced at him, curious to where his mind was going.

"Of course. What do you want to try?" He took my hand and brought me into the middle of the village. We lay down together and stared upwards through the trees. I peered at the stars. I had always liked them and I had made several images out of them. Now, I recognized actual constellations, but I doubted that's what Alec had taken me here for. There was a clearing with a better view just a few feet away.

"I want to see how much we remember. How much of our past can we dig up?"

"Well, considering I clung to those memories, we might be here awhile. A lot I don't remember exactly from when I was human, but from thinking about them as a vampire. That's the secret to holding on to human memories. Aunya told me she did the same thing and it worked for her." Alec nodded.

"I'll be honest, a lot of it I tried to forget. This place isn't a place of joy for me." I shrugged.

"It shouldn't be."

"I have one question before we do that, though."

"Mm hmm."

"How do you teleport all over the world and not get exhausted, but you can't teleport out of my power?" I thought over it for a moment, realizing it was a bit odd.

"Well, I think my power is connected to my senses. I feel like I'm somewhere, I create that place around me, and then I'm there. So like, while we were at Kings Island, I was here in my mind before we were both her physically. Maybe that's why. And that could also explain why teleporting is so much harder on you than it is on me." Alec simply nodded, accepting my explanation.

"Well, little Miss Teleporter, let's try this. What is the earliest memory you can find?" I thought back as hard as I could and found it.

_I stumbled through the church building, trying to follow the priest in front of me. We walked all the way to the other end of the church and then he picked me up and dunked me in a bowl of water. I started to fight him, not liking the cold water running down my back. I struggled right out of his arms, fell onto the stone floor, hit my head, and blacked out._ I told that memory to Alec. When he asked, I explained to him that I couldn't remember the priest's face but that I was probably around three years old.

"Three and still couldn't walk that well?"

"Hey, I had nobody to help me." He shrugged, not admitting he was wrong nor arguing that he was right but then began his own memory.

"I was sitting in my house with Mother and Jane. Mother was brushing Jane's hair. When she finished she called me over and fixed mine so it was patted down. We were going to go somewhere but I can't remember where. I was probably four or five years old." I searched for another memory and found one quite a jump away.

_I snuck around, covered by the shadows of buildings. Just ahead of me were Jane and Alec. They were talking about something, I hadn't learned to speak yet, and they sounded sad. I tried to stumble out but fell flat on my face, tripping over my own feet. They looked back but kept on walking without a second glance._

"So…," Alec said, trying to get me to share. If I could've blushed, I would have. _There's no way I'm sharing that memory with Alec_, my conscious told me, but I gave it to him anyway. "How old were we? It sounds familiar. I must have been seven or something."

"Yeah, sounds right. I was about five."

"You couldn't talk when you were five?"

"I didn't have anyone to teach me, Alec. You're lucky I could and had a name by the time I finally got brave enough to try and talk to you two."

"Where did you get your name?"

"You have to share a memory first." He sighed but began.

"I was about six, I think. Father came back from whatever he was doing. He was a soldier, gone a lot. Jane, of course, was excited. She admired Father for some absurd reason." I watched as his hands clenched into fists and anger crossed his face. "She ran out to him, like always, and gave him a hug. He simply pushed her off and walked up to me. He said something about me becoming a man and then pulled me by the hair out to his horse." He paused, pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand. "I had to beat the horse for what must have been hours. From about midday till nightfall, I had to beat the horse, and if it tried to run away, I had to beat it harder." He shook his head and didn't continue. I didn't know what to say so I just went on to the next memory.

"I was hungry, around six now, and was sneaking into a house. The family was outside. They only had one kid so I though it wouldn't be too bad, stealing from them. I think I could semi-understand English now because I'm fairly sure I learned about stealing being wrong at the church. Anyway, I snuck in and was trying to steal food when the mother came back inside. She looked at me once, got down a loaf of bread from the shelf that was just out of my reach, and ushered me back outside. It's one of the best memories I have." Alec smiled.

"It's good to know there were some descent people in the village." He sighed again. "I don't like this memory, Cassi. It's one that I've tried very hard to forget." I stared at Alec's face. He looked guilty, as if the memory had him doing bad things in it.

"You don't have to tell me," I assured him. "You could just skip to the next memory." He gave the sky one of those creepy, angry smiles and shook his head.

"That one's just as bad. Prepare yourself, Cassi. You might reconsider talking to me."

"There's nothing that you could do to scare me away, Alec. Trust me." He didn't respond to that and began.

"This is related to the horse memory. Father enjoyed beating us, a lot, whenever he got bored. He especially liked to hurt Jane because that bothered me more than when he beat me. I was about seven by now and a disappointment to my father. Had Jane been a boy, she would have been the perfect son for my father, but she wasn't and I wasn't his perfect son. I was too 'softhearted' for him. I didn't insert my will on everyone like he did. I was quiet and I didn't see the point in hurting things simply because they weren't exactly what I wanted.

"Usually, I avoided going home when Father was there, but Jane still liked him at this time. Well, she dragged me back to our home and Father was waiting. He had a strap of leather in his hand and he looked like he was set to kill. He pulled us in by our hair and threw us across the room. He started hitting Jane with it but I jumped up and caught the whip. He snapped it back out of my hand and then hit me across the face with it. Then he put the thicker end back in my hand and shouted something about being a man again.

"He wanted me to hit Jane, I knew that, but I didn't move. He hit me more times than I can remember, I know that, until he grabbed my arm and moved it for me. I tried to deny him but he just tossed me aside and tore her apart. Jane told me to do what he wanted so I did, Cassi. I took the whip and I beat her until she couldn't move. And then until she blacked out. Father wanted me to continue but I swung it at his face." Alec smiled triumphantly for a moment and then became solemn again.

"Then Mother came in. She stared at the scene before her and cried out in pain. He told me to whip Mother then but I refused. Then he picked up Jane's limp body and threatened to kill her if I didn't do what he said. Mother stared at me as if I was breaking her heart simply by holding the whip. I loved my mother, Cassi, but I loved Jane more. I beat Mother too. I kept hitting her until she too blacked out. When she did, Father came up to me, patted me on the back, and told me I did a good job. He took the whip from my hand and walked out of the door to torture the horse. I didn't want to, Cassi. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but I didn't want to lose them.

"They forgave me afterwards. They told me I did exactly what I needed to. Mother told me not to think about it but Jane congratulated me and told me maybe Father would start to like me, as if that's what I wanted. I think she was too shocked to realize the horror of what happened. She didn't want to hate Father; she didn't want Father to hate her. The village was already starting to shun us by this time and I think she still wanted to have a family. I think she wanted to be loved like a normal little girl.

"I've tried to forget, Cassi, but I can't. It just keeps coming back. I don't know what to do. I've thought about talking to Jane about it but then I decided that I didn't want to bring that up. She hates Father now as much she hated the priests then, if not more. I just don't know what to do with it." I almost allowed myself to lapse into silence but I knew Alec need comfort. This memory was too much for him to keep on his own. I could see how broken he was just thinking about it. I took his hand and pulled his face so he'd look at me. He tried to turn away but I pulled him back.

"Alec, that wasn't your fault. You can't blame yourself for your Father's insanity. You love Jane; all three of us know that. What you did then doesn't matter now. All that matters is that you did it to protect the women in your family."

"But I hurt them…"

"Maybe, but it's better than them being dead." I trailed my hand down his cheek and gave him a sympathetic smile. "I bet you, your mother is looking down at us now and smiling because her son was brave enough to protect his family at all costs. Yes, you hurt them, but do you honestly think your seven year old self was strong enough to fight your soldier father? No. He would have just done the same thing, maybe even worse things. Trust me, Alec. This isn't something you should dwell over."

"I try not to, but there's nothing good enough to fend it off." I understood that. I wasn't the perfect little girl either; I had my own bad memories.

"Is this good enough?" I asked, pulling him into a kiss. He didn't let my pull back but dragged me closer. When he finally did end it, he nodded.

"More than good enough," he answered, trying at a smile. It was still sad and heartbroken, but it was a start.

"All right, all right. How about this? We only share good memories from now on." He nodded and I began. I didn't have a lot that didn't involve him and that made him even happier. All of his seemed to hold either just him and Jane or him and his mother. Then he told me about the time he remembered of me walking out and talking to him while Jane was away. I laughed and told him that that wasn't the first time I had talked to him. He looked embarrassed and sighed.

"Sorry, that's the only one I remember."

"It's all right. I clung to the memories, remember? You didn't." He laughed and I joined him. We spent the rest of the night and the next day trying to remember every good thing that happened in our human lives. I had a lot more memories than him and he enjoyed stopping and listening. The good memories that didn't involve him were placed in the woods with nature. I had a lot of memories of holding baby squirrels and petting birds. The animals had loved me and Alec was jealous that I got to do that. He wished he could have been there.

Finally, night fell and we both fell silent. We knew that it was time. I had to go back to Aunya and he need to go back to Jane. He stroked my hair and I rested my head on his chest. I didn't want to part anymore than he did but duty called.

"We'll see each other again soon, okay? I promise, Cassi. You can't keep me away long." I nodded and felt that choking sensation that replaced crying. Then I stood up, pulling him with me.

"Back to Las Angeles?"

"I guess." I created the alleyway in my mind and then we were there. Alec pulled me into one last kiss and then we let go of each other's hands. "Good luck, Cassi. I hope she teaches you everything she promised she would."

"Yeah… Well, good luck with Jane. She's not going to be too happy about this." He laughed and then walked one way down the sidewalk. I watched him until he was just a part of the crowd and then turned around and went the other way.

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><p><strong>It breaks my heart to make them part. :'( Anyway... I've decided to reread the Twilight Saga again. I think this is the fifth of sixth time. Do I have any other people who've reread it as often as me?<strong>


	14. Chapter XIII: Fact VS Myth

**Another chapter, another confusing mess of words. Originally I wanted to write Chapter XIII through Jane's point of view. Hopefully I'll get around to that. I hope you enjoy and please review! I love reading them. :D**

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><p><strong>Aunya's POV<strong>

I was not afraid of the Volturi so I decided to stay in Las Angeles. I kept my hopes high that Cassi would return. Sure enough, she returned only a day later. "Hi, Aunya," she muttered, eyes down cast. She looked guilty and I could sense the emotion drifting from her. She felt bad about abandoning me.

"You came back," I smiled, reaching to pull her into a hug. "I knew you would come back." I pulled back suddenly, feeling her shift to regret. "You are staying, aren't you?"

"Of course!" she exclaimed, staring into my eyes, then she looked towards the ground again. "Me and Alec, we made a decision. I come back to you and he goes back to the Volturi and Jane." I lifted her chin with my finger.

"Do you love him, Cassi?"

"I think so. I mean, I've never really known what love is." I nodded, knowing how uncertain she was. As before, there was an underlying longing in her soul. She wanted him. I steered the child to the couch and sat her down, placing myself in front of her.

"Well, Cassi, first things first. You're not in trouble. I have no idea what you did, I doubt you said anything that has the potential to cause problems, and I honestly don't care. You came back and that's all that matters. Do you understand?" She nodded although she was still disappointed with herself. "Second, love, Sweetheart, is how you describe the strong emotional bonds between two people. For example, I love you. I want to keep you safe and I would bet torn to pieces if anything bad happened to you."

"So, I do love Alec?"

"I believe so," I ran a hand down her cheek. She seemed reassured, more at ease, but I could feel the true jubilee she received from knowing that. She was almost sure, but she needed the extra support. "Of course, I can't imagine why. I mean, sure you're both from the same time period and around the same physical age, but what do you really know about him?"

"We grew up together, Aunya. Well, I grew up studying him." Revelation enlightened me.

"You knew the Witch Twins before they were vampires," I concluded. "Goodness, you probably know them as well as their leader. That's amazing!" She shrugged her shoulders casually. "How have they changed? Do you remember your human life? I mean, what's it like to be with people from your human past?" She laughed softly, honored by my curiosity. She had assumed I already knew everything. _If only all children had that much faith in their teachers…_

"Well, they really haven't changed, to be honest. Jane still hates me. Alec's still the quiet yet more lethal one. He's always watched out for Jane. I remember a little of my human life. A lot, really. I've clung to the memories over the centuries. I've always needed something to keep going. I've always felt… lonely. And to be with people from my past? That's the best experience I've ever had. They understand what life was like back then, they have the same rules and customs. It's kind of like going back to your hometown, I guess. But don't you already know how that feels? I mean, you had Garret after all." I sighed.

"Garret is a lot older than me, Cassi." I sighed again. "So what were the specifics of this decision? What did you say exactly?" It didn't take Cassi long to catch up to me. She repeated the entire conversation for me, and parts of a different one, mimicking Alec's voice perfectly. "Things would be so much easier if you weren't mates."

"I'm sorry, Aunya." The apology was sincere, which bothered me more. I had never been lucky enough to find my mate, nor had Garret, and here I was separating two of them.

"So selfish…" I muttered. This took her by surprise and earnest hurt rang out. She didn't understand why I was insulting her. "Not you!" I exclaimed. "I'm selfish. I'm stealing you from happiness, something most immortals would kill to have. I'm going to relish every moment with you."

"Aunya, can we change the subject? I'd rather, you know, start learning instead of talking about this."

"Fine. Then your first lesson will be the truth about vampires. The whole truth, things most vampires will never ever know." Her eyes perked up, curiosity singing from her soul. She wanted to know _everything_.

I watched as Cassi's mind attempted to process the knowledge I'd just given her. "So, you're saying vampires aren't immortal, it stemmed form a disease, and you're one of the first vampires ever?"

"I know how it appears, but it is the truth, Cassi. I wouldn't lie to you."

"Well, then how did it start? I mean, where did the disease come from? What's our average life span? I – How does it all work?" She was lost, everything she has every known was twisting around and eating itself. Her confusion didn't surprise me. I had chosen Cassi, the physical youngest of all vampires, because children's minds could adapt better to take in new, contradicting knowledge. When I was done with her, she'd be the most valuable being to have ever existed.

"Oh, my. You ask wonderful questions, child, but these questions I wish to answer later on, when I can take you somewhere that will help to increase your understanding. Let's start with something different. How about facts from myths? Ask any question like that and I can answer."

"All vampires are evil."

"Myth. Vampires are disease infested humans. They can choose to be good or evil."

"There is no cure for vampirazation."

"Fact, at least as far as I know of. Perhaps, in the future, someone will find a cure."

"Well, you already told me vampires aren't immortal. Vampires must drink blood to survive."

"Fact. Without blood our body would no longer function and the production of 'venom,' which is our substitute for blood, could no longer occur."

"You mean, the blood we drink turns into venom, which flows around our body like blood?"

"Yes. The blood goes to your stomach and then into your intestines, like normal food would if you were human. You intestines then absorb the blood and send it to bone marrow, which used to create blood. The bone marrow then reforms the blood into 'venom.' The thing is it's not really venom. My people called it _plefyon_, which literally means 'corrupt blood.' When _plefyon_ enters a human's veins, which we do by biting them, it spreads and corrupts more blood. The burning pain that is then created is _plefyon_ destroying and/or altering your human cells."

"Okay… But how can '_plefyon_' flow through your body without a beating heart?"

"Cassi, your inquiries are phenomenal. _Plefyon_ is corrupt blood, remember that. It destroys and alters human cells. You don't need to breathe because the air never reaches your lungs. It goes down your esophagus like food would. During the process of turning, your heart literally is destroyed. You don't have one anymore. It shriveled up and fell to pieces." Horror crossed her features. She didn't understand how one could be heartless and still love. I had forgotten to separate the connection between 'having a heart' and the physical organ.

"Love is part of your mind, sweetheart. Feelings and those things come from your brain. They have nothing to do with your physical heart."

"Oh, okay! That makes more sense. Still, how does _plefyon_ flow?"

"I was getting there. You still have veins, and they are normally clear, although sometimes they take on a bluish tint if there's any pure blood in your system. That usually only occurs after feeding and that pure blood is soon destroyed. Anyway, your lungs take over the function of the heart. Technically, you have a heartbeat; it's just so faint that you can't hear it. Similar to the fact that you rarely hear your lungs filling and emptying. It's your lungs that push _plefyon_ to where it needs to be."

"How, without the heart to connect the main veins with the tiny ones in the lungs?"

"Your lungs are full of liquid at the moment. Those tiny veins swell the size of arteries during the conversion. What also happens is that the veins leading to your heart end up moving, by passing the organ completely. They connect to arteries, if they haven't already, and those arteries then move to connect to the newly formed arteries in your lungs. This full process usually happens right around the end of the conversion. Your heart stops when it's done. If you could focus beyond the flaming sensations you would notice that it also felt like you were suffocating."

"So how do we talk, if our lungs are our heart and we don't have a trachea connection?"

"You do have a trachea connection; it just connects to the esophagus. Your vocal cords are still there and there can be vibrated by air."

"I hate science and biology." I laughed softly. It was beginning to hurt to process so much. They would need a break soon. "So what is _pleyfon_, exactly? What's in human blood that _plefyon_ uses to form itself?"

"Plasma, as far as my people were concerned. If we knew exactly what _plefyon_ is we'd be able develop a cure to vampirization. Our scientist believed it was radioactive plasma, of sorts. But, if that were true, then it would kill humans, not infect them. Please don't ask anymore about the specifics of this disease. I'll explain it better when I can take you…"

"To that one place that's going to help you explain. Yeah, I know. More facts versus myths questions." I nodded. She was upset not to be fully satisfied but she was coming to accept my way of teaching. She realized how difficult it must be for me to explain all of this, especially things I didn't even understand. "So let me get this straight. Vampire aren't immortal, they'll start to age and lose their memories eventually. You're from a very ancient civilization, you're one of the first vampires, and vampirization is a disease. This disease occurs when _plefyon_, which is extremely messed up plasma, enters the body and begins to entire reshape the internal systems of our bodies. There's no cure for this disease as of yet, every vampire is technically a mutated freak with lungs functioning as hearts, stomachs functioning as lungs, and a trachea that's connected to our esophagus. Did I get all that?"

"It sounds insane, doesn't it?"

"Actually, it's starting to make sense. I mean, without all this knowledge you'd vampires have to be magical!" We both laughed at that. There was something definitely other about our race. "Not all vampires have special powers."

"Myth." Cassi's head cocked to the side. As far as she knew, Garret didn't have one and she had heard about other vampires without special gifts. "Every vampire is gifted; some gifts are just stronger than others. The 'powers,' as other vampires would have them, stem from psychological strengths. These are usually more dangerous but every vampire is technically gifted. Some have enhanced strength, speed, smell, sight, or other such things. Some can process even faster than other vampires. Your powers come from things you could already do as a human multiplied ten fold.

"Most vampires have a combination of different areas of specialty that can come from just about anywhere. The only reason why it appears that not all vampires have powers is because many haven't discovered their gifts yet and many, who haven't already, won't. Also, the lack of having a power can be due to the fact that the power is significantly weaker than other powers of similar subjects. Some vampires have increase persuasion skills, writing, seduction. We are as diverse as our human beginnings. I've even met vampires who could talk to animals. Of course, that gift isn't often discovered because most animals flee as soon as they get sense of our presence."

"What's your gift?"

"I can sense the emotions of others around me and a vague explanation of what's causing those feelings."

"No kidding," she mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Garret could communicate with animals. You can teleport. Had the Witch Twins not been burned at the stake they would have even more dangerous of powers. Your human life shapes where your strengths are."

"That should've been more obvious." She paused, curiosity blossoming. "What kind of powers would Alec and Jane have had without the villagers' interference?"

"Well, according to what I've collected over the years, the reason why they were burned is because they were accused of cursing those who did unkind things to them. If that was true then, more likely than not, they'd be able to kill people with their thoughts. They'd literally be practically invincible." Her jaw dropped.

"They'd be able to kill people, with their minds?"

"Mm-hmm. The villages may not have succeeded in destroying them but they did help protect the world from a greater threat." Cassi mistook my statement for my wishing that they should've died. "I don't mean it like that. Besides, if it weren't for them being burnt at the stake, they wouldn't be the Alec and Jane the world knows today."

"The vampire world," she corrected me. Humans were utterly clueless. "Human blood is better for vampires than animal blood."

"Fact. Animals can't become vampires, as you know, therefore their blood can't be altered the human blood was. You can only drink animal blood and still be able to survive without extreme hunger because you still obtain enough plasma for the _plefyon_ to form. Still, the plasma isn't the same as human plasma and therefore the _plefyon_ is altered as well. Thus, the development of golden eyes instead of red. 'Vegetarian' vampires are also less territorial simply because they don't have the high of strength to rush through them every time they feed. It's advised vampires keep a stable diet of human blood and only feed on animals in cases of extreme starvation."

"The colors of our irises are due to… What are they due to?"

"Well, the simply change from red to black is because our eyes receive less and less _plefyon_. It's almost like humans' faces turning purple because they're not receiving enough air. The golden color is due to the fact that the _plefyon_ in 'vegetarian' vampires is mutated. Why does _plefyon_ cause a reddish pigmentation in our eyes or any pigmentation at all? I'm not entirely sure. The theory of my people was that _plefyon_ carries its own genetic code and alters our own. Much like human irises are determined by genetics."

"Vampires don't have melanin."

"Myth. During the conversion process, _plefyon_ destroys only 99999/100000 of the melanin in our bodies. The rest remains."

"Then why can't we tan and why are we paler than humans with no melanin?"

"Every human has melanin, but albino-humans have such a small amount that they can't develop anymore. We have even less than them so we can't develop more either."

"There's no such thing as a colored vampire."

"Fact and myth. All vampires are extremely pale but some can have darker skin than others."

"Then why are there olive-colored vampires?"

"They're not actually olive-colored. When vampires that used to be colored are placed next to vampires that have always been pale, their darker complexion stands out more and it is more obvious. Placed next to a white human, they will still be unusually pale."

"Oh." She studied this revelation for a couple of seconds, attempting to discover a new path of interrogation.

"Vampires have been around as long as humans."

"Unconfirmed. I've read a legend about there being a vampire during the Sumerian time period but my people came about slightly after their time and we have the first fully confirmed existence of a vampire. I wouldn't be surprised, though. The disease had to have started somewhere."

"Isn't there a normal human disease that theorists state are the cause for vampire myths?"

"Yes and the theorists are on the right track, in a way. The disease is due to a lack of plasma in the blood. This can cause some odd abnormalities. I wouldn't be surprised if that disease was a minor form of vampirization."

"Goodness, this is a lot to take in." She lay down on the couch, her brain hurting. "All vampires have increased brain capacity and perfect memory of their vampire lives."

"Fact and myth. Yes, all vampires have increased brain capacity but not all vampires have perfect memories of their immortal lives. The leader of the Volturi, Aro, can tell you that. Most vampires do have perfect, photographic memory, but not all of them. Humans who had significant memory problems to begin with, then changed into a vampire, they'd probably have semi-normal memories. They'd become photographic but they still wouldn't retain as much."

"Why do we have increased brain capacity?"

"_Plefyon_ allows us to use more of our brain at once. No living being has ever experience one hundred percent brain capacity, but vampires vary from forty to seventy percent. Most humans linger around fifteen and twenty percent."

"Have you ever met a vampire with seventy percent brain capacity?"

"One."

"Who?"

"You. You're the only vampire I have ever met that can teleport. To top that amazing gift, you can teleport other people alongside of you. That is an incredible feat that defies the laws of physics. I don't comprehend how it's possible."

"Where do most vampires average?"

"Forty to forty-five percent."

"I'm a freak in a world of freaks." I chuckled softly. She didn't mean that badly, she simply found the thought amusing.

"'Vegetarian' vampires are worse, trust me. I can't see why they'd choose to do that."

"They don't want to be monsters."

"All life is equal. They're doing just as much wrong as killing animals as they would be killing humans. The only non-evil, living beings are those that perform photosynthesis to create food. They don't have to kill anything."

"Excluding carnivorous plants."

"Well, yes, excluding carnivorous plants."

"Can we take a break, Aunya? This is a lot to take in."

"Of course," I told her, stroking Cassi's cheek. I pulled out her pigtails and she shook her head, letting the hair fall is it pleased. She remained on the couch as I went to my room and wrote in Atlantian, my native language, what we had already covered.

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><p><strong>I hope I didn't lose you too much. I like logical explanations and this was the best I could come up with. What did you think of my theory?<strong>


	15. Chapter XIV: Off to a Bad Start

**Chapter XIV: Off to a Bad Start**

**Jane's POV**

"What were you thinking?" I demanded, glaring at my brother. Alec crossed his arms and simply sighed. There was no interest in his eyes for my scolding. He deserved it, though. How dare he wander off and leave me alone with Demetri? Demetri is a snob. He thinks of himself like a god. I only refrained from killing him because Aro liked him. That didn't mean I didn't enjoy torturing him. He had been silent after our first incident.

"_Cassi deserves to die." He quirked an eyebrow._

"_Cassi is a confused child, even younger than yourself. She didn't know what to do when faced with a difficult decision. Hence why children should not become immortals. They'll never grow up, literally."_

"_Speak for yourself," I hissed, going back into the labyrinth of pavement. I might have been a child but I was mature. I could make difficult decision without assistance. Cassi, on the other hand, was a weakling. She'd never change. She should've been killed when she first walked into Volterra._

_I led Demetri back to where we had left Alec, but he was gone. Demetri didn't seem surprised. "Where is he?" I demanded in a low voice. The tracker cocked his head to the side._

"_Canada, perhaps. Ohio, now. He must be with the girl." I took every ounce of control not to scream. The entire mission was a bust and now he and Cassi were spending some quality time with each other?_

"_The other vampire?"_

"_Still in the Pacific." _Good, at least she isn't there too.

"_We have to go find him."_

"_Jane, why don't we wait for Alec here? We'll never be able to track them without her escaping us. Besides, he'll come back for you." I glanced at Demetri. He dared to question my authority? But before I could protest he mumbled, "Children…" I glared at him and he collapsed, screaming in agony. I stopped after a few seconds. I didn't want to risk getting caught by civilians. _

"_This 'child' is still stronger than you," I growled and headed out of the alley._

"Jane, I'm capable of defending myself, you know that," Alec pulled me back to earth.

"She can teleport out of your power." He laughed without humor.

"She can try, only to result in that awkward state of 'vampiric exhaustion,' as Aro puts it. She wouldn't do it again if she didn't have to. Besides, I was in no danger from Cassi. She just wanted to talk and that's exactly what we did."

"You went to Canada, Ohio, and France just to talk?"

"Our village was in France?"

"What?" I demanded, lost. What did our village have to do with their talking?

"Cassi took me to the spot of our old village. I didn't know we were French."

"That would explain the kissing," Demetri interrupted.

"What kissing?" our voices inquired in unison. It was nigh impossible to tell the difference between one and the other. We had the same tone, near identical vocal cords. His was slightly deeper, but that was about it. We had never been able to go through puberty to distinguish us further.

"The whole peck on one cheek and then on the other whenever you greet each other. Well, at least when you're both in fairly good moods, which you normally are towards each other. As of late, on the other hand, you both seem to be getting on the other's nerves." I glared at Demetri, wanting to hear him scream, but Alec's hand came to rest on my shoulder.

"Jane and I do not agree on all issues," he explained. "That's to be expected." I peered over my shoulder at my brother. "Anyway, I was wondering if you'd be offended if we claim this mission as over. We found her; now we should go back to Volterra." I stared at him, incredulous. I yanked my arm out of his grip.

"You're going to give up so easily? I thought, you know… I thought you…"

"Loved her?" he finished. His lips pinched together as he thought about it. "In a way I do, but I don't need her. The only person I need is you." I beamed up at him; I always knew Alec would never favor someone else over me. I heard Demetri sigh in the background.

"If we're going to go back, then let's go," he breathed. We nodded in unison. We picked up our luggage and strolled out of the hotel room we were staying in. Demetri checked us out and then drove us to the airport. "So what was the true point of this?" he demanded.

"Exactly what we did," Alec stated. We were just pulling up to the airport.

"What did you talk about," I pushed, curiosity getting the best of me.

"Our past," he muttered. I let it drop. That entire subject was sore in every single way. I didn't remember much of my human life, just the flames, but I knew Alec remembered more. He never let a single memory go. It was as if he clung to them. I couldn't figure out why. The rest of the trip to Italy was silent. It was almost routine for us.

I strode out of the airport in Rome and looked around. Hundreds of cars were in view. The stink of gasoline was all around. Tourists, smiling, laughing, running to meet their transportation were everywhere you looked. Little girls were humming, boys were taunting each other, parents were scolding their kids. Some families were already giving history lessons. It was such a happy sight. I despised it all.

"Jane, come back inside," Alec hissed, glaring at the sun. I wasn't even close to the edge of the shadows but I obeyed him anyway. With my brother, all you need is mention fire to make him become a timid rabbit. I liked to watch law-breaking vampires burn but Alec? He left as soon as he could. Once he learned that the sun was a giant ball of flaming gas, he dared not even look at it. Me, on the other hand, fire fueled my power, my anger.

We sat inside all day, wandering around, trying not to draw attention to ourselves. Which was significantly difficult when you're a beautiful, foreign girl, just the right age for all boy tourists. I had as young as a six-year-old and as old as a sixteen-year-old hit on me. I wouldn't have minded slitting their throats. Especially a peculiar red-haired boy who claimed to be French but couldn't pronounce bonjour right.

I was the last of the group to leave the building since we go in shifts. I took a taxi to inner Rome, knowing where Alec and Demetri would be waiting. It was about nine o'clock now, the city lights ruining the astronomical view. I sighed and slowly walked towards our meeting destination. I tried to blend in, being a small girl taking her time on the way home.

I walked by an alley and stopped, lips curving up and a hiss escaping my lips. _Romanians!_ I whipped around, feeling cloth cover my eyes. I tried to pull it off but my arms were gone before I could move them. I yelped but said no more, the removal of my limbs feeling more like a paper cut than anything else. My main body was shoved into the back of a car while my arms were put in a bag. I was silent, trying to get my fingers to tear through the fabric of the bag. Something blunt whacked at them. I could hear where they were now, less than a foot away.

The car squealed as it rolled away from the spot I had been kidnapped. I didn't panic. This would be too easy. The Romanians were easily beat. All I had to do was get my blindfold off. I didn't need hands for that. Before I began to think we were out of the country, the car came to a stop. I was shoved out of the vehicle and forced to glide over a forest floor and into a building of concrete. I could hear water dripping and three sets of footsteps around me. I smelt Demetri, three unfamiliar vampires, Vladmir, Stefan, and… _No. It can't be._

"Hello, Jane. It's been a long time, hasn't it?" _Damn._

2


	16. Chapter XV: All Forms of Trouble

**Here it is, as promised. Leave a comment please. I need ideas for what to do next!**

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><p><strong>Alec's POV<strong>

I paced back and forth, worry gripping me. Where were Jane and Demetri? They should have been here by now. It was already witching hour. I watched a car drive by slowly, too slowly. Then I smelt them, Romanians. They were so close. How could they have gotten this close to me? _Must have been upwind._ I glanced at the suspicious car again, the black-out windows making it impossible to see anyone within. I stopped pacing, realizing it was an ambush. I crossed my arms over my chest, cool and collected.

"I hope you weren't hoping to sneak up on me," I said, perhaps a little too arrogantly. They had come frightening close to their goal. I heard a cuss come from behind. I turned to study two newborns charging towards me. I easily side-stepped the attack and sent my mist out around me. I didn't force it to spread around them, but rather created a force-field around myself.

"Where are your masters?" I interrogated them, wondering if Vladmir and Stefan underestimated me so much that they thought a pair of newborns could defeat me. Didn't they remember that I nearly single-handedly destroy their coven? Unless, of course, the newborns were shielded. No, they hesitated at the edge of my mist. Even if they did have a shield, they wouldn't be smart enough to act otherwise._ They may not know._ I decided not to risk it and stayed safe inside my mist. What purpose would it serve me to kill the newborns? _It'd send a message. Ha! Like they need another one._

"We have your sister," one offered up, as if that would make me come out of my protective circle. I rolled my eyes. I doubted anyone could have snuck up and taken Jane without her wishing it. Even if they did have her, Jane wanted to be there. I knew my sister. "Traven has a special purpose for her, but he needs you too." A hiss escaped my lips. _Not Traven. Not now._

"Oh, is that so? And what would Traven need me and Jane for?"

"Don't know. None of our business. We just gotta get ya there," the other one said. His voice was deeper._ These are street thugs_, I thought._ Traven must have struck a deal with them. Too bad they're getting cheated. Unless his offer was immortality…_ I analyzed them. _No, they're still getting cheated. They won't last a decade._

"And how do you plan on doing that?" I was simply entertaining them, biding my time and hoping someone would come out of the car if we took too long. If Traven was in the vehicle, I wasn't moving. If it was Vladmir or Stefan, I'd easily finish what I started over a millennium ago. "Do you think I'll go willingly?"

"You're sister was easy enough."

"I see. How did you manage that? You must be very cunning." Compliments were good for fishing out information. I wanted to know how much Traven had told them.

"We covered her eyes cuz then she can't do nothing. Ripped off her arms too. Can't fight without arms." _I beg to differ. But, perhaps they did catch Jane off guard. She seemed rather distracted in the airport, over thinking. If Traven took her captive…_I sighed inwardly. I was going to have to rescue her. Leave it to Jane to be overly confident and not pay close attention to her environment.

"Ah, so you know her weakness."

"Yeah, and Traven told us yours!" The first thug, the one who looked semi-intelligent glared at his talkative partner. But I already had the illiterate one in the palm of my hand. He wanted to show off and I was all ears.

"Oh, did he? What did he tell you is my weakness?"

"Ya gotta have your sister. He said you'd come if we told ya we got her."

"I wonder where he got that absurd notion. I'm glad to be rid of her." I heard the click of a door handle behind me and I struggled to keep a smirk from crossing my face. _Impatient I see._ I frowned when I recognized the scent. "Good evening, Traven," I greeted him, turning around. Black eyes glared at me. He wasn't the only one with a little bloodlust.

"As to you, Alec. You're rather a difficult one to come by." Traven's voice was a smooth as velvet, dripping with the elegant tongue of someone older than time itself. I had only met three Atlantians in my life time, and Traven was the only one who hadn't made it through puberty, much like Jane and I. His pure black hair was casually ruffled, his jeans and dark blue t-shirt bringing out his pale skin.

"You've been blending in with society," I noted. In fact, he actually appeared to be a modern teen, ready for a sporting event. A smirk splayed his lips. He was irregularly handsome, even for a vampire. Most Atlantians were.

"Some people don't have a perfect hide-out like you." He had caught on to my disapproving tone. Traven and I had never gotten along. I knew what he was after before anyone else. Had it not been for his own gift, he'd been long dead under Aro's orders. It was only thanks to Aro that I had separated him and Jane in the first place.

"Some people don't have the right to live." He glared at me, smirk dropping to a frown. He studied me for a moment, hands stuffed into his jeans.

"Oh, Alec, look at us. Wasn't there a time when we were friends?"

"Minor acquaintances," I corrected him.

"Well, let's be minor acquaintances again! For your sister's sake, if nothing else. She was overjoyed to see me, you know. Embraced me and everything."

"Jane doesn't have arms," I snapped, seeing through his lies. Jane knew as well as I did how dangerous Traven was, what he was really after. We'd not be taken into his lies. We had to be careful around him. His gift could do strange things. Unlike other vampires, Atlantians had flexible gifts, broad gifts. They'd only realize they had one ability but they could do several things. Traven played with your head. He could change your thoughts, influence you, destroy you. He'd made Jane love him but, for whatever reason, his gift didn't work on me. I was a threat to him and we both knew it.

"My friends here have obviously said more than I anticipated," he admitted. For anyone else, it would have been impossible to be angry with him. Anyone else would smile and tell him it wasn't his fault, reassure him. His courtesy didn't work on me. "Alec, why are we doing this? We both know you want your sister. Come with me and you can have her. I want you at my side, Alec, not arguing with you."

"Keep her," I offered, making a snap decision that I'd probably regret later. This took Traven aback.

"You've been arguing, I presume." I shook my head.

"I don't need Jane. She's always been a nuisance. If she's not smart enough to escape you then I don't want her around me. I'm tired of picking up her slack and living in her shadow." Traven's eyes grew darker, if that was possible.

"I never expected there'd be sibling rivalry between you two. I suppose it doesn't matter… I still want you, Alec. You would be such a valuable asset to my coven."

"You've joined with the Romanians. I can smell them all over you. Find another vampire to do your bidding."

"I'll come for you in Volterra," he warned. I laughed.

"I have not interest in Volterra. Go if you please, I doubt the Volturi will welcome you with open arms. Aro would be glad to see you though. I hear you two have some unfinished business." Traven grimaced and then smirked again.

"Flying solo? Come now, Alec, that's too easy. How could you leave yourself so unprotected? I thought you were smarter than that." I shrugged and didn't bother to mention that his street thugs couldn't touch me and most vampires would be lucky if I only numbed them. I could destroy covens in a nanosecond. I wasn't in any danger "flying solo." Rather I was safer alone. "Alec, think of all you can have with me!"

"A mess of half-breeds and obnoxious newborns? I'll pass. There's plenty of teenagers who'd love to do what you're implying." Traven believed that, with the right process and the right vampires, he could make a female vampire give birth. He was so obsessed with the idea that, shortly before we first met him, he had transformed (and later slaughtered) nearly a hundred young women and slept with them all. He hypothesized that, if he used vampires who had been in the middle of a blooding, like Jane, they'd be more fertile. He didn't want to admit that it wasn't possible. Vampires were dead. The dead didn't give birth to the living.

"You can be so absurd, Alec. I really do wish to have you join us but if you refuse… Well, Jane will be disappointed. The first thing out of her mouth was 'Where's Alec? Where is he? What did you do to him!' Obviously she still feels the same for you, even if your love has failed." I had to still a shudder, the perfection of his imitation horrifying._ How long has he had her?_

"Come and get me," I called, gesturing to my mist. I was safe inside but he wasn't. He'd be dead as soon as he stepped a foot in. I could've extended it towards him but I'd rather follow him to his hide-out. He was thirsty enough to eventually leave me alone. Besides, even he wouldn't want to alert the humans. Three sets of teeth chomped together, followed by low hisses. I was practically invincible. Slowly, I made my mist extend to the side, a clear path of escape. "Or not," I said, shrugging and heading down the path.

"We'll find you," Traven threatened.

"Doubtful. Farewell, Traven."

"Have a nice vacation," he answered calmly, recomposed. I didn't turn fully away from them until miles deep into the city. Then, I took off. I couldn't head to Volterra for help, he'd expect that. So where would I go? I didn't think Cassi would stay in Las Angeles for long and my sister was with Traven. It'd be nigh impossible to follow him back to his lair but maybe… _They're newborns. They could lead me to Jane. But he'll expect that too. How serious is he about join or destroy? Maybe I'll agree to join, just to find out how to rescue my sister. No, he'd see that coming too. Fuck. What am I going to do? I have no where to go and no plan._

I didn't stop running until I was clear out of Italy, crossing into Switzerland unnoticed. I was hidden amongst the trees as daylight began to come out. I was thirsty and I could smell cattle not too far away._ Farm._ I was at the edge of the woods, peering out at the acreage to a tiny house in the distance when human blood filled my nostrils. I turned, listening intensely for my intruder's location. "Mom's gonna kill me when she finds out I already ripped these jeans." I sneaked towards the sound and found my new prey easily. She was tall and lanky, probably in her early teens. Her brown hair waved down to mid-back and she was checking out a scrape on her knee. Without even thinking, I had her pinned down, neck snapped, and was drinking my fill. She was drained before I was fully satisfied.

_Not the best choice of prey,_ I thought. _But I'm sure her family will start to miss her before long. They'll have to go, too._ I strode back to the edge of the tree line and stared at the house, following the line of shadow to the closest area to it. From there, I waited until darkness fell.

"What were you thinking, traveling through the forest at night? Don't you know that there are bears in these woods? You could've been eaten, Boy. And nobody would've ever found you."

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but I didn't know where else to go. My dad… I just couldn't take it anymore. I had to runaway."

"You didn't have to do anything," the woman scolded. "And, in the morning, I'm calling the authorities. You can stay here tonight but you're going back home in the morning. Don't even think about trying to escape. I got the whole house on lockdown." The girl I had killed in the woods resembled her mother greatly. They had the same hair, same build, brown eyes, and freckles. Their voice also sounded near identical. I couldn't wait until they were freed from the world. Nobody needed these people. They were bossy, assertive, and spoke to everyone condescendingly. Even the father and two sons did it.

"Yes, Ma'am. I think my mum will come pick me up if you let me call."

"No way! I'm not going to have you take off with one of your friends. You're going to the authorities and that's final." I was sitting at the dinning table and she was standing to the right, towering over me. "Now, there's a free bedroom up the stairs, at the end of the hallway, and to the left. That's where you sleep tonight."

"Thank you," I muttered, standing and heading the way she pointed out. The spare bedroom was easy enough to find. It had obviously been in use before. There were posters of boy bands taped to the walls and make-up cluttered in front of the mirror on the dresser. I heard my new visitor before she spoke but I jumped anyway.

"Momma sure put a load on you, didn't she? She does that sometimes. Does it to my sister a lot. That's why she likes to disappear sometimes. She usually comes home in the middle of the night, though. Maybe Momma thinks her giving up Cathy's room will teach Cathy a lesson. I doubt it though. She could always sleep with me. I think she'd prefer that." The new girl, one I hadn't even smelt before, looked identical to the girl I had already drained. _Twins_, I thought. But why hadn't I smelt her? I could smell her now. She smelled of the forest and cotton candy, a strange combination. Her blood was appealing, like her sister's, but I could resist.

"Well, I'm only going to be here one night."

"You'll leave before sunrise. I know guys like you. My boyfriend's like that. Well, my ex-boyfriend. He got caught killing somebody for their iPad. Not gonna date a thief and a murderer."

"Oh, so one or the other is okay?" I mumbled sarcastically, trying to fit in.

"Sometimes you gotta do one or the other. But he didn't need the iPad." I looked this new girl up and down. "Anyhoo, I'm Cade. This is my twin's room. Cathy, as I'm sure you've guessed." She stuck her hand out.

"Alec," I replied, shaking her hand. She flinched back from my cold skin.

"I think you stayed outside too long, Alec." I shrugged.

"Happens." She nodded, crossing her arms over her chest, mimicking me. I did it subconsciously on a frequent basis. "I want to get some sleep, if you don't mind," I finally added when she made no move to leave.

"Oh," she sighed. "Alright. Night, Alec."

"Sleep well, Cade." _You won't be waking up._ At least I was lucky enough to kill the twin that didn't come home every night. She hadn't been missed yet. Before long, the entire household was asleep, all the lights turned off. I snuck out of my room and to the room of the eldest son. I snapped his neck and moved on, not wanting to be caught feeding while the others were alive. I crossed the hall and killed the other brother. Cade was missing. I sniffed around but, again, her scent eluded me._ Gifted_, I thought. _I wonder if Cathy had similar gifts. All well, too late now._

My final victims were the parents. I snapped the husband's neck and then leaned over the mother. I didn't care if she screamed, we were in the middle of nowhere and Cade didn't seem to be a threat to me. Still, I covered her mouth and plunged my teeth through her throat. The body struggled beneath me. I felt as her teeth and tongue scraped across my hand, felt her screams trapped in her throat, but fed until she was gone. Then, I moved on to her husband, drinking him dry. I sighed, feeling better already. I had room for more though.

The two sons' hearts had stopped beating by the time I reached them so I only finished one, leaving the other half full. "Oh my god!" I turned around, seeing Cade standing in the doorway. In a split second, before she could even process the instinct to run, I had her throat pinned against the wall. I was full and I didn't really want to kill her but I couldn't leave her as a witness. She saw the hesitation in my eyes. "Please, don't!"

"It's nothing personal, Cade, but you've already seen too much." I found my want to speak with her odd. I didn't usually engage my prey.

"Are you a cannibal? Are you going to eat our flesh like you drank… You're a vampire! I knew they existed. I knew it! I've seen werewolves too." I cocked my head to the side. If the werewolves were so populated in the region that a human had seen one, it was beyond time to recoup and finish off the race. I sighed inwardly and move my hands to the proper position to snap her neck. "Please, Alec, don't! Make me one of you!"

"Immortal children are illegal."

"But you're a child."

"Not in my time." She stared at me, realizing how old I must be. She gulped.

"Cathy said we're gifted. What if I could help you? Nobody can ever track me, not even dogs, and Cathy can find anything she wants to, no matter what. We could be valuable." I cocked my head to the side. I already figured that Cade wouldn't be easy to track down but Cathy could have been valuable. _What a shame._

"Cathy's dead," I finally said, feeling almost ashamed. Cade's jaw dropped.

"You… You killed Cathy?"

"The thirst, Cade, is hard to resist, especially with your sister's bleeding the way she was. I only came here to finish off your family." Cade swallowed hard and fortified herself. I bit my lip. I wasn't sure if I could actually kill her._ Aro could use her. Hell, I could use her with Traven after me. Perhaps she can mask others' scents too._ "The transformation is excruciating," I warned, although I doubted she wanted to change anymore. Her eyes popped open with hope.

"Do you have to kill humans? Couldn't you feed on animals?" I hissed.

"Such a practice in my presence is forbidden. If I turn you, you will be under my control and my protection. Others will hesitate to harm you but I'm only considering this because you could be useful and it'd be a shame to kill off such a gift."

"So… I'd have to kill?"

"Yes." She pursed her lips and sighed.

"Change me," she whispered. I didn't give her the time to reconsider her decision and bit her, pulling back sharply. "Ow!" she exclaimed and shock crossed her features. _And here comes the screaming_, I thought. She was writhing in agony within minutes and I left to go fetch her sister's dead body so I could burn her up with the rest after Cade's transformation was finished. I'd also need to find a lone hiker so she could feed. I hoped I wouldn't regret my decision.

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><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed and please review. Thank you for your time reading!<strong>


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